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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones (12) takes the snap during the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Oregon Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, in Arlington, Texas.
The inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game drew a 18.5 overnight rating, the highest metered market ever for ESPN according to A. C. Nielsen, the network announced.
Ohio State defeated Oregon, 42-20, in the game played Monday night in Arlington, Texas and the rating was a 21% increase over the 2014 BCS National Championship on ESPN (Florida State vs. Auburn, 15.3), ESPN said.
In the primary home markets of the two schools, ESPN reported the telecast delivered a 51.2 in Columbus, the No. 1 overall market, and a 37.6 in Portland, Ore., good for fourth overall. The top 10 metered markets (in addition to those of the competing teams) are the following: Columbus, Dayton (43.8), Cleveland (41.3), Portland, Birmingham (36.1), Cincinnati (26.5), Jacksonville (25.7), Knoxville (25.5), Greenville (24.1) and Atlanta (23.0).
Additionally, the National Championship set overnight post season college football records in 22 different markets.
Ratings for Honolulu were not immediately available.
