Texas at Michigan is Most Watched College Football Game of 2024

The country had its eyes on FOX as Texas defeated national champions Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Texas safety Michael Taaffe and fellow Longhorns celebrate 31-12 win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORK

More people turned on their televisions to watch the Texas Longhorns defeat the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House than any other game this season.

FOX's Big Noon Saturday counted with big names like Texas alumnus and super fan Matthew McConaughey, and the three-hour-long broadcast was viewed by 9.35 million fans on the Network, the most of any game in any network. This viewership also marked the most-watched telecast of the day on any network.

National champion Michigan had already scored a 2.56 million people viewership in its opening match against Fresno State on NBC, and over 19 million fans watched the rivalry duel against Ohio State in 2023.

Sep 7, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Fox Big Noon broadcast on the field before kickoff between Michigan and Texas at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Junfu Han-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The network's lead play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson called the game alongside former Colorado star Joel Klatt. In the pregame show, four out of seven presenters predicted the Longhorns to win the matchup, but no one could imagine Texas would actually dominate the game as it did.

Big Noon Kickoff will be traveling to Tuscaloosa to cover No. 4 Alabama as it takes on unranked Wisconsin. It's unlikely that Texas will be at the center of attention again next weekend, playing a freshly defeated UTSA -- matchups like Georgia at Kentucky, LSU at South Carolina or the noon game at Bryant-Denny will probably be more exciting.

Nonetheless, the 6 p.m. kickoff in Texas' road to the top of the AP Rankings will be streamed on ESPN'.

Following its statement win at the Big House, college football fans will be looking at Texas' performance regardless of the team, and as the nation watched unranked Northern Illinois defeat Notre Dame, it's fair to say anything can happen.