Ratings Revealed For USC Trojans’ Showdown With Notre Dame

The USC Trojans week 8 matchup on the road against the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish was one of the most viewed games of the weekend. Where did the game rank compared to the three marquee SEC matchups of week 8 and other Big Ten games?

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks to an official during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans' week 8 matchup against the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish delivered as the game was the fourth most-watched of the weekend, with 4.6 million television viewers on NBC. There was much on the line in Saturday night's matchup between the Fighting Irish and the Trojans, with both teams looking to improve their chances at the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame earned the 34-24 win at home over USC to secure their third straight rivalry win over the Trojans and strengthen their playoff chances.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, center, runs with the ball in the second half of a NCAA football game against Southern California at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saturday night's matchup against Notre Dame wasn't the first time this season that a USC football game drew a top 10 national audience. The Trojans' 34-32 loss to the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini drew 4.1 million viewers on FOX in week 5. USC's 45-31 home win over Michigan State in week 4 also drew a top-10 television audience.

Three SEC Marquee Matchups That Had Higher Ratings Than USC-Notre Dame

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Lawson Luckie (7) celebrates his touchdown with offensive lineman Drew Bobo (74) and wide receiver London Humphreys (16) during the fourth quarter of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Three marquee SEC matchups on ABC were the most-watched games of the week 8 college football slate. Arguably the best college football game of the week, between the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels and the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, was the most-watched game of week 8 with 9.79 million viewers.

The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide's 37-20 primetime home win over the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers was the second most-watched game of week 8 with 8.01 million viewers. The No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores' 31-24 win over the No. 20 LSU Tigers finished in third with 5.94 million viewers.

Other Week 9 Big Ten Games That Had High Ratings

Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) passes in the second half against the Washington Huskies at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Three other Big Ten matchups drew large television audiences in week 8 of the college football season. FOX's Big Noon Kickoff game between the No. 25 Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies in Ann Arbor was the fifth most-watched with 4.32 million viewers.

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Just behind Michigan's 24-7 win over Washington for the most-watched game at No. 6 in week 8 was the 3:30 ET matchup between the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers. 4 million viewers tuned in to watch the Buckeyes shut out the Badgers 34-0 in Madison.

Minnesota's Friday night 24-6 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers also delivered with 2.66 million viewers on FOX. The Golden Gophers' win over the Cornhuskers was the 8th most-viewed game of week 8.

USC-Nebraska Primetime Matchup Likely to Draw Large Television Audience

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans offensive lineman Micah Banuelos (59), quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and USC Trojans defensive end Jadyn Ramos (95) celebrate after defeating the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While the Trojans are currently on their second bye week of the season, USC's week 10 matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln has the potential to draw another large television audience. NBC is scheduled to broadcast the Nov. 1 game between Nebraska and USC.

The game will be an exciting atmosphere for college football fans to watch. It will be a "Blackout" game at night for Nebraska with the Cornhuskers wearing black alternative uniforms against USC. The game is scheduled for 4:30 PT on Nov. 1.