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USATSI

College football has never been hotter, and viewership for the CBS package of games reached a high mark not seen in nearly three decades. College football viewership on CBS has averaged 7.103 million viewers season-to-date, the network's best mark in 29 years (since 1990).

Leading the way was the network's coverage of the SEC. The SEC on CBS, featuring The Best Game From The Best Conference™ every week, was the highest-rated regular-season college football package on any network for the 11th straight season. The SEC on CBS averaged a household rating/share of 4.2/11, according to Nielsen national ratings, topping all other networks. That's up 24 percent from last year.

The network also broadcast the two most-watched college football games of the season across any network. LSU's 46-41 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Nov. 9 had a 9.7/24 household rating/share and 16.729 million viewers. Saturday's SEC Championship Game between LSU and Georgia had a 7.9/20 household rating/share and 13.703 million viewers, even though LSU led 17-3 at halftime and cruised to a 37-10. Viewership of the SEC Championship Game -- which kicked off at 4 p.m. ET -- peaked from 6:45-7 p.m. with 15.772 million viewers.

That win earned LSU the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.