College Football Playoff semifinals outdraw NFL Wild Card games

NBC Sports ^ | January 4, 2014 | Zach Barnett

[C19fan]

There is no surer bet in television than the National Football League. Well, actually, there is a surer bet than that: an NFL playoff game.

Until now.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive declared the College Football Playoff a success and now the market has spoken, agreeing with him. Thursday’s Florida State-Oregon and Alabama-Ohio State games have beaten Saturday’s Cardinals-Falcons and Steelers-Ravens NFL Wild Card games.

[C19fan]

The author screwed up as it was the Cardinals playing the Panthers on Wild Card weekend. The College Football Playoffs drew the largest rating ever in cable history and more people watched than the previous BCS Championship games except for the 2010 game.

[WayneS]

Falcon, Panther - What’s the difference?

;-)

[FlingWingFlyer]

I didn’t have a dog in the fight but, IMHO, the Rose and Sugar Bowl games were awesome. My two cents.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Lousy games. The fix was in. It was for.ratings only. Big market football..

[fatnotlazy]

Wild card games are a joke. The Steelers stunk all season and they're in the playoffs? Ridiculous.

[reed13k]

After the drubbing FSU took - it should have been TCU/Oregon - at least that would have been a game.

[C19fan]

Referring to Cowboys-Lions? :)

[pburgh01]

[ProtectOurFreedom]

My wife became the biggest Ducks fan ever after our oldest went to the U of O. We went to the Rose Boelter game last week — it was spectacular.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Boelter? What sort of autocorrect word is that??

[C19fan]

Did the Oregon fans get into the “No Means No” chant?

[Cincinatus]

Several of the more obscure bowl games were really fantastic. In particular, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl and Arizona State vs. Duke in the Sun Bowl. Both really good, dramatic football.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Oh yes we did!! Big time.

[C19fan]

I only been to one big time college football game but I went to the Rose Parade during the year Michigan played Texas. Got chills when the Michigan band played “Hail to the Victors”.

[mmichaels1970]

Wild card games are a joke. The Steelers stunk all season and they're in the playoffs?

The Steelers won their division at 11-5. Now, I hate the Steelers as much or more than anybody. But by virtue of winning the AFC North, they deserved to be there. The Bengals (10-5-1) and Ravens (10-6) got the two wild card bids.

[Bigtigermike]

Miami bowl - 2 OT and the brawl between Memphis and BYU was awesome

[Vigilanteman]

In general, college football is somewhat more interesting than NFL. College basketball, however, is way more interesting than NBA.

I find little sport in eight foot guys making ten foot baskets. It is about as sporting as shooting fish in a barrel.

[dfwgator]

The quality of college basketball has nose-dived thanks to “one and done”, it’s pretty much unwatchable.

[Vigilanteman]

You are talking about the playoff system and I agree. I'm talking about the excitement of the game itself.

Basketball, like baseball, is supposed to be a marathon and not a sprint. Not anymore, it seems.

[discostu]

They went 11-5 and had the #2 offense in the league, hardly stinking. They laid couple of eggs, including Saturday night, but by and large they had a good season.