UGA-Bama was most-watched TV game of college season

Alabama’s victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship game drew the largest national television audience of any college football game so far this season.

The CBS telecast of Saturday’s game from the Georgia Dome posted a national Nielsen rating of 9.8, meaning 9.8 percent of U.S. households with televisions tuned in on average. Previously, the highest rated game of the college season was the Nov. 24 Notre Dame-USC game, which posted a 9.4 national rating.

CBS said the SEC title game averaged 16.2 million viewers across the country, peaking at 21.8 million for the final half hour of the telecast..

Locally, almost one-third of metro Atlanta households watched the game on average. The local rating of 32.2 was the highest for any football game — college or pro — on Atlanta TV since this year’s Super Bowl, which posted a 51.3 rating here.

The highest local ratings for Falcons games so far this season are 31.8 for last Thursday’s game against the Saints and 31.1 for the Nov. 4 game against the Cowboys.

One market had a higher rating than Atlanta for the SEC title game: Birmingham, which posted a super-sized 52.6.

Among the nation’s 56 largest markets, the highest ratings for the game outside Birmingham and Atlanta were posted in Jacksonville (22.7), New Orleans (21.5) and Nashville (21.0).

The Atlanta rating translated to an audience of about 740,000 households on average. The local audience peaked with a 39.4 rating — about 900,000 homes — for the telecast’s final 15 minutes.

169 comments Add your comment

Bitter dawg fan

December 4th, 2012
8:01 pm

@-moist dawg—maybe you would not be MOIST if you stopped –

——–TOUCHING YOURSELF—PUNK

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:03 pm

Miami is MAD MAD MAD………….The Bama fans drink BPR but the UGa dWags and Irish Catholics could drink the state dry. They would have sex with anything that was so slow with a HOLE that couldn’t get away but hell We are talking MIAMI. Hell Miami thinks the Kardashians are good neighbors.

WestOfAthens

December 4th, 2012
8:03 pm

Not amazed at all, it was a damn good game.

And, with what was at stake, it was another example as to how dominant the SEC is. Stay on topic people.

HBTD

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:05 pm

Downward facing dwag is a Freshman class at UGa and not a YOGA move.

UGA = DUMB

December 4th, 2012
8:06 pm

HBTD ..they LOST!

Bitter dawg fan

December 4th, 2012
8:06 pm

@ PUT IN TIME OUT———-Mindless piece of TRAILER TRASH

Bitter dawg fan

December 4th, 2012
8:09 pm

@TIME OUT—–tHE ONLY THING WITH A SLOW HOLE—–YOUR MOTHER

Moist Dawg

December 4th, 2012
8:09 pm

Call me childish names bitter dude. At least I don’t hedge my bets by rooting for another team. Traitor.

Psy

December 4th, 2012
8:10 pm

@ Timeout, try googling Bammer Football and see how many Tea Baggin’ Tree Killers you get… It’ll fill two pages.

Steve

December 4th, 2012
8:10 pm

Crazy that this barely beat out a host of regular season Falcons games. Not dissing the Falcons, but I think it disproves the old ‘playoffs will make the regular season less meaningful’ nonsense.

College football should out-draw the NFL, plain and simple. There is more passion for one, and with alums and families of alums there is also the ties to the institutions that you will never get in the NFL. I am sure there are a bunch of factors weighing in against college football (like 5-6 games on TV at once) but many ‘would-be’ fans are turned off by a sport that does not determine it’s champion based solely on the game results.

The simple fact that NIU, Kent St, Utah State and SAN JOSE STATE are ranked shows you that the system is horrendous. Any system that takes human voting into account needs to be gone. Period. Don’t even try to argue against this as NIU lost to one of the worst teams in the Big Ten (Iowa), Kent St got ANNIHILATED by Kentucky. While Utah State and SJSU have no horrendoous losses on their records, they also have zero quality wins against BCS opponents and simply do not belong anywhere near the top 25.

Humans are bleeding heart morons living in fantasy land when it comes to voting. Too often the votes are based on ‘awwwwww’ factor instead of reality. That is why the prima-donna big salary and little heart NFL game trumps college in ratings .. a true winner is determined based solely on the results on the field.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:21 pm

UGa Sucks…………………..Stick to the Girls sports like the Gym Dwags and the Bareback Horse Riding girls for your Championships……

Greatest UGa coach is a Drunk Tramp…..S. Yoculan.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:22 pm

Psy how does a fat gay Korean know about American sports?

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:25 pm

How Bout Them Thug DWags?

Going Down in the ATL again.

Dwag players how you like to play and lose at Basketball in a place that don’t smell like cow crap?

The Monger

December 4th, 2012
8:26 pm

Here is the letter I just sent Greg McGarity, who I believe relies on FACTS and reason, unlike you so called lunatic fans, that support and embrace LOSING the biggest games of the year EVERY year. IDIOTS. 3 friends also sent letters similar to this, but with a little different wording, as they are their own letters. Finally, we are uniting to get Richt out of town….Anyways here’s my letter to McGarity…

Hello Sir,

Mr. McGarity I have tremendous respect for yourself and the entire University of Georgia. I am a proud 2007 graduate, and a successful chef who contributes to the athletic association on an annual basis. I just want you to know that I have never been so ashamed by some of the so-called fans and alums of this University than I have since the loss to Alabama. I am at a loss for words as to why so many alums are proud of the loss, as well as the coaching staff. Correct me if I am wrong but how is giving up 520 yards of offense, including 350 rushing, something to be proud of. Especially, considering we have 9 NFL caliber players on our defense. I did not agree with extending Grantham and giving him a raise, and I still don’t. I just want you to realize FACTS about the program (that I know you know, but want to reinforce). Despite similar recruits, facilities, resources, and financial status, Nick Saban has only lost 5 games in the last 3 years, while Mark Richt has lost 13 games since 2010. The answer is clear as day…. Alabama is a well-coached, well-run, well-conditioned program with top notch atheletes striving to be their best. Georgia is under coached, under prepared, and can’t play with teams of similar stature in the SEC. It is evident by Mark Richt’s 1-11 record against teams that finished the season ranked since 2009. How can you justify paying 3 million a year for this ineptitude sir? I understand he is a good man with clean, Christian values, but are we not trying to win Championships. The nail in the coffin is the simple fact that Mark Richt has not delivered a Championship of ANY kind since 2005, 7 LONG years ago. How much longer do we have to wait sir? Despite top 10 recruiting classes every year, he fails to win A SINGLE big game (outside of the florida game, in which Georgia was given 6 turnovers to work with), and Alabama is yet another in a LONG list of failures in big games by this regime. I ask you humbly to please help the REAL supporters of UGA football, and bring us a staff that can not only compete every year, but win championships on at least a somewhat consistent basis. I was embarrassed of Mark Richt and the University at his childish outburst at the post SEC championship interview room, in which Richt stormed out of the room like a toddler have a temper tantrum, at a truthful evaluation from a reporter asking him about his meager record in meaningful games. I hope you evaluate THOROUGHLY the state of this coaching staff and the direction of this football program, which hasn’t won a championship in over 7 years, despite top 10 recruiting classes and millions of dollars from investors like myself being funneled into the athletic program. Thank you for listening, sir.

Sincerely,
Keith Thompson, Alum 2007

Psy

December 4th, 2012
8:30 pm

Yo @ Timeout – Tea Baggers are big news, even in Korea… Tree Killers too. You Bammers are world famous…

5 Star

December 4th, 2012
8:32 pm

That is impressive given the time it was played.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:37 pm

Mark Richt looked Great in all Black with a red tie for the SEC CG….he was Dressed for the FUNERAL that was the UGa team against BAMA.

Moist Dawg

December 4th, 2012
8:38 pm

Monger gets it unlike some of the other ninnies on this board who are so happy to have a bama fan pat em on the head and tell them what a good try it was, like a little brother who almost beat big brother. These fans should be named and banned for life from Sanford. Or made to be tech fans.

Put In Time Out Is

December 4th, 2012
8:51 pm

@Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

Why don’t you go back to the trailer park moron? What’s the matter little crybaby can’t stand a little criticism for your beloved box of Tide? Grow up. Oh and before you make fun of UGA and how dumb they are, you ought to try to use some decent grammar while you’re at it.

Gulf Shores Dawg

December 4th, 2012
8:51 pm

I have a condo in GS, AL and the Bama fans have been pretty cool this week while I’m here…tide got to embarrass ND in Miami…Dawgs got to do the same on Neb. in Orlando!!! Dang, I am excited about next season already! Go Dawgs!

CHDawg

December 4th, 2012
8:51 pm

Red Stick, yep, run D is what did us in, obviously. We did have several opportunities to put it out of reach in the second half. Fortunately, the Dawgs kept putting points on the board, and they kept taking the lead after Bama’s runs. CTG is a good DC. The only puzzle to me is why he didn’t load the box more to force them to throw it when our run stop broke down. The other mystery is that this same bunch of players was number 11 in the country against the run last year. This year we are 81. I don’t know what happened. IMO, Bama does have the best run blocking O line in the country. In defense of CTG, he does know 100X more about defense than I do, so maybe there is more to it.

The Monger- you are very confused, man. Nobody is proud we lost. Like Ken Gates put it, we all feel like we were stabbed in the heart. We are proud of the young men who went out and gave everything they had all season, and Saturday against a great football team. We came an eyelash from winning. Proud of the young men, hate the loss. That is all…

class of 86

December 4th, 2012
8:52 pm

Someone posted earlier that Dawg fans should now root for Bama and Florida and other SEC schools in the championship game and bowls. To hell with that. I will NEVER root for the Gators in ANY situation. And I will not root for Bama in the National Championship game. I guess it means a few more dollars to split among the SEC schools if they win, but UGA doesn’t need money. BTW, I won’t be rooting for Notre Dame either…I wish they both could lose.

Put In Timeout = DBag

December 4th, 2012
8:58 pm

Hahaha I love making fun of all you Georgia fans behind this keyboard while I play World of World craft with all of my other virgin friends!!!!!!! Don’t you dare say anything bad about my little elephants or I’m gonna hold my breath and throw a hissy fit!!!!!!!

I’m sorry which school was most recently under sanctions from the NCAA for violation of rules? Alabama. Which school has a player under review for a cheap shot from the SEC and NCAA? Alabama. Why don’t you go read a book and get an education before you come on here troll. What’s the matter little crybaby? Can’t get your blow up doll to inflate so you gotta come on here and vent your frustration? Hahaha you seriously need to go out and get a life instead of posting 20 things on the ajc website just to try and start a fight. Wuss.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
8:59 pm

UGa sucks

Put In Time Out Is
December 4th, 2012
8:51 pm

@Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

Why don’t you go back to the trailer park moron?

My trailer park is 50 acres in Chatt Hills or 2 acres in Sandy Springs………….What is your trailer park?

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

December 4th, 2012
9:02 pm

@ One Bad Dawg:

It is really hard to recognize the women at GT. Best way to tell is watch which restroom they use and that isn’t very accurate.
**********************************************************************************************************************

@Timeout:

Word on the street is your parents(aka your sister and her Man) were just doing it for fun the night you were conceived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moist Dawg

December 4th, 2012
9:02 pm

Gulf Shores Dawg, did the bama fans comfort you down there? Did they hold you tight and tell you it’s ok? I’d slap the pig ear sandwich out of any bama fan’s moth who tried to be “cool” to me.
Maybe you should stay down there and root for our rival like a traitor and loser and never come back here. You make me sick.
Now go watch a Jane Fonda movie and burn a flag.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
9:03 pm

Put In Timeout = DBag……….you really have NO CLUE do you?

aladawg

December 4th, 2012
9:03 pm

Hey Ken shit mouth Sugiurqa you are one of the ignorant moronic retard that every body talks about that lives in Alabama. I bet you are the one that told the policeman that you did not know she was you 12 year old sister. People like you don’t deserve to breath the air that someone else could use.
UGA Dumb the same goes for you and I’ll bet you are the ignorant nit-whit that told the policeman that you were just helping the sow pig to get over the fence.
Moist Dawg, what’s moist about you, your mouth. Just make sure you never get put in jail you would be made a punk in 10 minuets. I served in the Army for 25 years and I met hundreds of people that do not live in Alabama and all of them have that same opinion of the state of Alabama. Out houses, snuff dipping women, dumb ignorant boys that is what makes up the Alabama population. This is what all the world thinks about people from Alabama until they visit the state then they don’t think it anymore, they know it’s true.

Ramad Ashad

December 4th, 2012
9:06 pm

21.8 Million WOW. DAWGS RUN THE WORLD!!!!!

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
9:06 pm

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)………..kind of hard when dad flew mom to Germany for their wedding and mu conception 2 weeks later in Dusseldorf.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
9:09 pm

dWags go down 62-54……….

Mr. McGarity

December 4th, 2012
9:10 pm

Dear Monger:

I am in receipt of your letter. GFY.

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
9:16 pm

got to LOVE the MUTTS…………..it is ALWAYS the refs fault…………………………………….Dirty Dawg
December 4th, 2012
8:38 pm

Lay off Fox…these kids are still young for the most part, but the real issue tonight is that Tech shot lights out in the first half and the G-damned officials haven’t given Georgia a single call…
===========================================

HAHAHAHA UGA’s football team was full of OLD guys and LOST to BAMA and now The UGA Bball team is young and lost. But the ONE CONSTANT is it is the referees fault.
Mutts never change.

woodie

December 4th, 2012
9:19 pm

Looks like the Dawgs have something else to cry about as they lost to their in-state rivals in B-Ball.Just a shame.

Psy

December 4th, 2012
9:25 pm

Yo @ Timeout.. I googled Bammer football and here are the top three stories for this year… #3 Harvey (son of Bear) the tree killer….#2 Downing goes looking to score in NOLA but can only teabag a tiger…#1 Nick’s little princess beats ass on another Bammer babe and gets arrested. You Bammers are world famous!

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
9:30 pm

Psy google non-white students at UGa and see how many people you can find that are not Fake Blonde Drunk White Girls on the Plantation.

Keith Thompson(I can't find my a$$ with both hands in my hip pockets)

December 4th, 2012
9:31 pm

I didn’t really send that letter because as soon as I sobered up I realiized I obviously had my cranium up :my “where the sun don’t shine”. I am really a disgruntled Techie(Is there any other kind?) and I hope Mr. McGarity will forgive me(Like he would take the time to read the 5 pages of Bullsh- – -).

While I am confessing I may as well admit(Any 8 year old could have figured me out) that I am “PUT IN TIME OUT” and I really miss my showering with jerry Sandusky.

Who Me?

December 4th, 2012
9:34 pm

LOL Mr. McGarity, well said.

Psy

December 4th, 2012
9:35 pm

@Timeout, I must have googled the wrong thing but I put in Free Clothes for Bammers and came up with T Town Meanswear and something about an NCAA violation. Trent got all his suits there…. You Bammers are world famous!

Dawg Squeeze

December 4th, 2012
9:37 pm

UGA football…33 years and counting!

Keith Thompson(I can't find my a$$ with both hands in my hip pockets)

December 4th, 2012
9:40 pm

@ aladawg{9:03 pm post)

Wonderful to hear The Truth from one who has served our country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any truth to the rumor that the lottery winner in Bama is having a 2-story Mobile Home built???

Aladawg = Great American = DGD

Keith Thompson(I can't find my a$$ with both hands in my hip pockets)

December 4th, 2012
9:42 pm

Time Out = Monger = Dumb enough to be TRIPLETS

Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.

December 4th, 2012
9:45 pm

got to LOVE the MUTTS…………..it is ALWAYS the refs fault…………………………………….Dirty Dawg
December 4th, 2012
8:38 pm

Lay off Fox…these kids are still young for the most part, but the real issue tonight is that Tech shot lights out in the first half and the G-damned officials haven’t given Georgia a single call…
===========================================

HAHAHAHA UGA’s football team was full of OLD guys and LOST to BAMA and now The UGA Bball team is young and lost. But the ONE CONSTANT is it is the referees fault.
Mutts never change.

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

December 4th, 2012
9:48 pm

@ Mr. McGarity:

Oh how I wish I had thought of that response!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. McGarity = DGD = Great American!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

December 4th, 2012
9:54 pm

@ Time Out:

Heard through the Grapevine that your conjugal visit with your showering partner Jerry Sandusky is coming up shortly!!!!:

We will miss your stupid posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had hemmorhoids a couple of years ago and I miss them too but I love your ignorant a$$ anyway!!!!!!!!!!

Strat Cat Dawg

December 4th, 2012
10:06 pm

@The Monger (Keith Thompson): You deserve credit for not hiding behind a handle and expressing your thoughts sincerely. I don’t condone anyone insulting you for stating your opinions and would tend to believe those people are not UGA grads. However, I don’t think Mr. McG will relate to your lack of appreciation for what the team accomplished this year. To get a perspective, check out this fan board for Nebraska as they react to their team will have to play us in the Capital One Bowl. Two years ago was a real low point, but we’ve come back to win 21 games in the past two season and next year is looking good, even if all the juniors with high NFL draft potential choose to go pro.

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/63004-huskers-bowl-opponent-is/

Strat Cat Dawg

December 4th, 2012
10:10 pm

On another topic, it’s cute the way trolls get annoyed when one ignores their childish antics. And their posts help the ajc writers keep their comments counts up. So whether you argue with them (which is what they want) or ignore them, it’s all good. Just don’t take them seriously.

jh30906

December 4th, 2012
10:13 pm

hey , Time out, FU. You are a GT TROLL. Dont hide behind BAMA. Bama has way more CLASS than you. @#$%$##@#$$#@ JERK!!

jh30906

December 4th, 2012
10:15 pm

I agree Strat cat, But some fans like Timeout rides DIK’s

Bama fan

December 4th, 2012
10:17 pm

Easily the greatest seccg game ever played. Congrats to the dawgs for a well played game.