Bama-Georgia face-off draws enormous rankings

Alabama’s 41-34 victory over Georgia on Saturday night balanced 12 million viewers on ABC and ESPN’s streaming platforms, according to Nielsen.It was the most-watched regular-season prime-time game given that 2017, when Alabama-Florida State on the season’s opening weekend averaged 12.3 million. Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia matchup was likewise ESPN’s most-streamed regular-season game.Nielsen reported the audience peaked at 14.1 million from 11:15

-11:30 p.m. ET, when Alabama was holding back a second-half rally by Georgia. The Crimson Tide’s Ryan Williams caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe with 2:18 staying, and Georgia was driving for a potential game-tying touchdown before Zabien Brown obstructed Carson Beck’s pass in completion zone.The win vaulted Alabama from No. 4 to No. 1 in the AP Top 25, while Georgia dropped from second to fifth.This is the very first year ESPN and ABC have the entire Southeastern Conference football package.