Ohio State Football Ranked as One of the Most Watched Programs in 2025

The Buckeyes find themselves in four of the top 10 most-watched games of 2025.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith's helmet sits on the sideline as the team warms up prior to the NCAA football game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Play-by-play FOX Sports announcer Gus Johnson doesn’t just refer to the Scarlet and Gray as “The world-famous Ohio State Buckeyes” without reason.

Ohio State consistently ranks among the most-watched programs in college football, with last season being no different.

Despite being eliminated early in the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes found themselves in four of the top 10 most-viewed college football games of the 2025 season. Tying Indiana with four appearances in the top 10, Ohio State continues to be one of the most recognizable college football programs in the world.

NEW: Top 10 most-watched games of 2025-26 College Football season📺

Two regular-season games made the list: Ohio State-Michigan & Texas-Ohio State. https://t.co/4y7h3gCwXU pic.twitter.com/hwdQ744Exo

— On3 (@On3) January 24, 2026

The Buckeyes’ Four Most-Watched Games of 2025

Ohio State’s first entry on the list is at No. 9, its lowest spot in the top 10.

The Buckeyes season-opening home game against the Texas Longhorns drew 16.6 million viewers, Ohio State’s first appearance in the top 10. This heavily anticipated showdown of two top-5 ranked opponents is placed as the No. 9 most viewed game of the season.

The hype surrounding Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin’s debut captivated much of the nation to tune in to Ohio State’s eventual 14-7 victory.

Next on the list, at No. 6, the defensive showdown that was the Big Ten Championship Game, which raked in 18.3 million viewers.

The Buckeyes traveled to Indianapolis to face the future 2025 national championships in a game which saw Indiana take home their first conference title since 1967. Ohio State’s 13-10 loss came after multiple costly errors, including inefficiency in the red zone and a missed 27-yard game-tying field goal.

Barely edging out the Big Ten title showdown was the biggest rivalry game in the Big Ten.

The 2025 edition of Ohio State vs. Michigan attracted 18.4 million viewers, placing “The Game” in the No. 5 spot on the list. The biggest storyline for the Buckeyes’ journey up to Ann Arbor was whether Michigan would defeat No. 1 Ohio State for a fifth-straight year or if the Buckeyes could finally get in the win column against their rivals.

Ohio State handily defeated the Wolverines 27-9. Interestingly, this matchup was one of only two regular-season games to make the top 10, with Ohio State vs. Texas being the other.

Moving into the playoffs, Ohio State’s final spot is at No. 3, being their Cotton Bowl showdown against vintage ACC rival Miami. Perhaps many were seeking the nostalgia of the 2003 BCS National Championship Game classic between the Buckeyes and Hurricanes, as this playoff matchup garnered 19 million viewers.

In a shocking upset, No. 10 seed Miami overcame No. 2 seed Ohio State 24-14 and advanced all the way to the national championship, where the Hurricanes would eventually lose to the Hoosiers 27-21.

Speaking of which, the national championship topped the list as the most watched college football game of the 2025 season, with a viewership total of more than 30 million.

Ohio State and Indiana both have four spots in the top 10, with Oregon (two) and Michigan (one) joining the fellow conference teams on the list as the Big Ten finishes with 11 different showings on the list.