Midseason TV numbers offer a clean snapshot of just how much attention USC has drawn through the first half of its season. The Trojans are still one of college football’s biggest television magnets, and Nielsen Media Research’s figures show plenty of viewers have been tuning in for the highs, the stumbles and everything in between.
At the top of the list is USC’s showdown with Oregon, a longtime Pac-12 rivalry game and top-25 conference matchup that kicked off at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
That one pulled in 4.57 million viewers, the most-watched Trojans game in this stretch. The matchup came loaded with storylines before kickoff, including questions about whether Lincoln Riley could win the big one and whether Oregon was on fraud watch after losing to Oklahoma State.
Once the game started, Desman Stephens II’s hit on Dante Moore ignited fights on the field and arguments online, and Dylan Raiola added to the drama by leading the Ducks to a 41-27 win.
USC’s visit to Penn State also delivered a huge audience, with the White Out crowd at Beaver Stadium helping push the NBC prime-time broadcast to 2.92 million viewers. That game came with plenty of pressure attached, especially with questions about how Riley and the Trojans would handle a road test. USC answered those doubts with a clean offensive performance and a defense that helped close the door, extending a new winning streak.
Another prime-time NBC game cracked the upper end of the list as well. USC’s 25-21 thriller against Washington drew 2.56 million viewers, and there was plenty at stake in the matchup. The Trojans were coming off a humbling loss at home, and the game also centered on whether their pass rush could get going and slow down a dual-threat quarterback.
Even the early part of the schedule managed to bring in strong numbers. USC’s Week 0 game against Michigan State, a noon kickoff on NBC, drew 1.86 million viewers.
Jayden Maiava and the offense did most of the damage early, hanging 28 unanswered points in the first half, while the defense held the Spartans scoreless. With the game well in hand, the younger players and rotational pieces handled the rest in a 42-26 win.
The Trojans’ 4-0 start also included a CBS broadcast against Rutgers that brought in 1.72 million viewers. That one gave neutral fans an entertaining back-and-forth game, even if USC supporters may not have loved the way it played out. Still, the Trojans walked away unbeaten at that point.
The Week 1 meeting with Fresno State on Fox drew 1.322 million viewers. That game featured USC’s defense putting up its only shutout of the season so far, fueled by five sacks and seven tackles for loss. Kennedy Urlacher had two of those sacks, while Maiava turned in a sharp passing day, completing 92 percent of his throws for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
The least-watched game in the group came later, when the Trojans played on the Big Ten Network in a late-night slot that limited the audience. That matchup drew 390,000 viewers, a number that fits the time and channel more than the team’s profile.
Looking ahead, USC has another prime-time appearance on the way. On Oct. 12, the Big Ten announced kickoff times for Week 8, and Southern Cal landed its third straight prime-time game with a 4:30 p.m. PT start in Madison.
Wisconsin will bring a strong audience pull of its own. Nielsen tracking data has the Badgers averaging 7.421 million viewers, which ranks them No. 2 nationally.
Before USC gets there, Wisconsin hosts No. 12 UCLA in Week 7, and if Luke Fickell’s team can slow down Bob Chesney and the Bruins, Wisconsin-USC could end up as another top-25 matchup on Oct.
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