FSU Football Among Highest TV Rated BCS, Playoff Title Games
By Jason Parker
FSU has played in four title games over the last two decades – with several of those games being among the most watched over that period.
When the 2017 season kicks off, it will be the 20th anniversary season since the college football world got turned upside down – and the Bowl Championship Series came into our lives. It was replaced by the College Football Playoff, which will be entering its fourth addition this year – with FSU football having played a role in both systems.
In the previous 19 seasons, the Seminoles appeared in either the BCS or CFP (including what is commonly called a New Years Six bowl game) a total of 11 times – which currently includes a five year streak of being in such games and being in the first three title games of the BCS era from 1998 until 2000.
A recent list showing the TV ratings for the 19 BCS and College Football Playoff titles games indicated that those first three games are among the top 10 most watched:
"1. Texas – USC (2006 Rose Bowl on ABC): 21.7 Nielsen Rating2. Ohio State – Oregon (2015 CFP Final on ESPN): 18.9 Nielsen Rating3. Auburn – Oregon (2011 BCS NCG on ESPN): 17.8 Nielsen Rating4. Oklahoma – Florida State (2001 Orange Bowl on ABC): 17.8 Nielsen Rating5. Florida State – Virginia Tech (2000 Sugar Bowl on ABC): 17.5 Nielsen Rating6. Alabama – Notre Dame (2013 BCS NCG on ESPN): 17.5 Nielsen Rating7. Florida – Ohio State (2007 BCS NCG on FOX): 17.4 Nielsen Rating8. Ohio State – Miami (2003 Fiesta Bowl on ABC): 17.2 Nielsen Rating9. Alabama – Texas (2010 BCS NCG on ABC): 17.2 Nielsen Rating10. Tennessee – Florida State (1999 Fiesta Bowl on ABC): 17.2 Nielsen Rating"
Florida State Seminoles Football
The Seminoles’ other appearance in a championship game, their BCS title game victory over Auburn in the 2013 season to end that bowl system, ranked 14th on the list with a 15.7 rating – just .1 of a share behind Alabama and Clemson from the 2015 season and Florida vs. Oklahoma from the 2008 campaign.
An interesting take on the list shows that just three of the seven games since ESPN took over the BCS before the 2010 season (and has been running the playoff system since it started) were among the top 10. Much of that can be attributed to the multiple ways the Worldwide Leader puts the game on their different platforms, taking away from the ratings of the traditional broadcast.
Ironically, the two lowest rated games over the span belong to the two teams sometimes thought to be the best of this era. The 2005 Orange Bowl between USC and Oklahoma was the lowest (13.7) followed by the 2002 Rose Bowl featuring Miami and Nebraska (13.8)