Oregon-Utah 2019 was the highest rated inter-P12 game to date. Oregon - Utah 2021 was the highest rated regular season. USC - Utah was the highest of both.

The correlation is a competitive game with playoff implications.

USC-Utah drew about 6 million viewers.

USC has been around the 2 million mark on average. So if USC has 2 million fans and Utah has 500k, the remaining 3 million to 3.5 million fans are from other areas of the country tuning in to watch a great football game — or one that has special meaning for their team (Ohio State).

What you're suggesting is that it was only USC. No one cares about Utah. But USC has a whole schedule and 10-year history in the Pac-12 that doesn't have anywhere near those numbers — take USC-Tulane for example. If it was USC-CU in the CCG, with USC a 14+ point favorite, you'd see fewer than 3 million.

In context, the networks want compelling games that draw national audiences. That's the whole point for concentrating blue bloods in the P2. Right now, outside UW, USC, Oregon...Utah's the only other brand constantly playing in these types of games.