Two NFL games aired on Saturday attracted a greater viewership than the college football playoff games debuting a 12-team format.
The playoff clash between SMU and Penn State garnered an average of 6.4 million viewers on TNT, while the NFL matchup featuring the Texans and Chiefs on NBC received an impressive 15.5 million viewers.
Later on, the face-off between Clemson and Texas pulled in 8.6 million viewers on TNT, in contrast to the Steelers-Ravens game on Fox, which captured 15.4 million viewers.

On Friday night, ESPN and ABC showcased another college matchup between Indiana and Notre Dame, which attracted 13.4 million viewers, while Saturday night featured Tennessee against Ohio State, drawing 14.3 million viewers.
Notably, there were no NFL competitions on the same night as these college games, providing a clear path for viewership.

The collective average viewership for the college games reached 10.6 million, a figure that surpassed all but four of the college games so far this season.
This strong response reflects the growing interest and spirit surrounding both professional and college football as fans engage deeply with the action on the field.