Big Ratings For Colorado-Oregon

Colorado Buffaloes football continues to be one of the biggest draws in sports.

Just a few weeks ago, their home game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers was the most watched game of the week. Despite coming on the same day as the hotly anticipated Alabama Crimson Tide-Texas Longhorns matchup.

READ: COLORADO/NEBRASKA AND ALABAMA/TEXAS PUT UP ABSURD TV RATINGS

And with Colorado jumping into the top 20 in the AP Poll and another significant road test at Oregon, it's no surprise that once again, the Buffaloes and Deion Sanders were must-see TV.

Sports Media Watch reported that the Colorado-Oregon game averaged a 5.2 rating, racking up 10.03 million viewers. That makes it the most watched game, per Nielsen tracking, of any game this season. Even higher than the Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup a few hours later.

Although based on a slightly different, Adobe-based measurement system, OSU-Notre Dame may have just exceeded it. People really, really want to watch Colorado football this year.

EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 23: Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks to the scoreboard replay during a PAC-12 conference football game between the Buffaloes and Oregon Ducks on September 23, 2023 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Will Colorado Remain The Biggest Story If It Loses More Games?

For some college football fans, there's already a bit of fatigue setting in around Deion Sanders and the Colorado program. But as these ratings show, there's a tremendous amount of interest from the general public.

That said, the Buffaloes' hot start was mostly a result of an early, impressive upset of TCU, facing a rebuilding Nebraska and overmatched Colorado State.

Oregon however, was a different matter entirely. And it doesn't get any easier Saturday with USC coming to Boulder.

Despite a shaky performance at ASU, by some ratings systems, USC has the top offense in the country. For a Colorado defense that gave up 35 points in the first half to Oregon, it's going to be another extremely tough test. As evidenced by the line opening with USC favored by 21-24 points.

While the ratings are massive now, if Colorado loses another blowout, will interest remain as high?

Sanders has essentially warned the rest of college football about the Buffaloes' future, and the program is trending in the right direction. But the Pac-12 might be the best conference in the country in its penultimate year.

And while Colorado's the top story now, how much longer will that continue if it keeps losing games?