USC Trojans Game vs. Illinois Delivered Massive National Audience

The USC Trojans' Week 5 matchup against the No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini was one of the top-viewed games on Saturday. Where was it ranked among some of the other top-viewed college football games from week 5?

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Week 5 of the college football season provided fans with several exciting moments that drew massive television viewership. Saturday's ABC primetime game between the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs drew the largest television audience of the week 5 college football slate, drawing 10.4 million viewers.

USC-Illinois Matchup Among the Top Viewed Games of Week 5

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema, right, and Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley shake hands after the 34-32 Illini win at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

After the USC-Michigan State game drew a top 10 television audience, Saturday's matchup against the No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini received similar success. As FOX's Big Noon Kickoff game for week 5, USC vs. Illinois finished No. 7 in television viewership, drawing 4.1 million viewers.

MORE: Biggest Winners, Losers in USC Trojans' First Loss To Illinois

MORE: Why Transfer Lineman Bear Alexander is Thriving at Oregon After Rocky USC Exit

MORE: Former USC Quarterbacks Helping Make Trojans History in NFL

It was also the most-watched game of FOX's week 5 college football slate. Fans who tuned in for the game saw an exciting finish, as Illinois defeated USC 34-32 on a walk-off 41-yard field goal by David Alano to give the Trojans their first loss of the season.

The Two Big Ten Games In Week 5 That Had Higher Ratings Than USC-Illinois

Oregon running back Jordon Davison, left and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq celebrate a touchdown by Davison as the Oregon Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 27, 2025, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two other Big Ten games in week 5 had huge success in television viewership. CBS's 3:30 game featuring the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the Washington Huskies in Seattle had the fourth-largest television audience, drawing 5.2 million viewers.

For NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night game, 8.8 million television viewers tuned in to watch the No. 2 Oregon Ducks beat the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions 30-24 in an overtime thriller in front of a whiteout at Beaver Stadium.

The matchup between the Ducks and Nittany Lions was the second-most-watched college game of the weekend, behind Alabama and Georgia.

College Football's Week 5 Slate Overall Sucsess in Television Viewership

LSU head coach Brian Kelly and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands after a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Ole Miss defeated LSU 24-19. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College Football's week 5 slate overall saw huge success. Saturday's slate tied with week 1 for the most games that had 4 million viewers or more. Other games with high ratings included ABC's 3:30 game featuring the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels beating the No. 13 LSU Tigers 24-19, which drew 6.7 million viewers.

Most watched CFB games, Week 5:

Bama-UGA (ABC): 10.4M
Oregon-PSU (NBC): 8.8M
LSU-Ole Miss (ABC): 6.7M
Ohio St-Wash. (CBS): 5.2M
FSU-Va. (ESPN): 4.4M (Friday)
ND-Arkansas (ABC): 4.3M
USC-Illinois (FOX): 4.1M

Tied with Week 1 for the most 4M+ games.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) September 30, 2025

4.4 million viewers tuned in for No. 24 Virginia's epic overtime 46-38 upset win over No. 18 Florida State on Friday night. Millions watched until the very end to witness arguably one of the best field storms of the season, the moment Virginia secured the upset win.

No. 21 Notre Dame's 56-13 win over Arkansas drew 4.3 million television viewers as the sixth most-watched college football game of week 5, just ahead of USC-Illinois.

USC-Michigan Likely to Draw Large Television Audience

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

USC's Oct. 11 matchup against the No. 20-ranked Michigan Wolverines is also likely to draw another large television audience similar to one that tuned in for the Trojans' loss to Illinois on Saturday. The game is set to NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night matchup for week 7.

NBC has seen success in television viewership for their Big Ten Saturday Night games and will likely see similar high ratings for this matchup, as USC will face Michigan in front of a sold-out Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

USC is looking to improve to 5-1 on the season and is hoping the bye week will help them bounce back from the heartbreaking loss to Illinois.