All eyes were on a big matchup between Deion Sanders' Colorado football and rivals Colorado State Saturday night, especially after Jay Norvell criticized Primetime. The Buffaloes eventually prevailed in 2OT by a score of 43-35 and ESPN made a bag from all the eyes that watched the game.

Via Stewart Mandel:

“My. Goodness. Colorado-CSU got **9.3 million** viewers, ESPN's most-watched late-night game on record and fifth-highest of any regular season game on record. For reference: The typical Pac-12 After Dark game gets between 1 to 2 million.”

Wow. 9.3 million people watched a college football game that started at 10 PM. Not only was it the most-watched late-night game ever, but it ranked top-five for the most-watched matchup in regular season history. The Deion effect is real.

While Colorado football gave up a lot more points than expected against the Rams, there is no question Sanders has turned this program around in a hurry. His son Shedeur Sanders is absolutely balling at quarterback and Travis Hunter is a legitimate two-way star who could change the sport at the next level. But, he's out for three weeks after a dirty hit in the second quarter that left him with a lacerated liver. Ouch.

See, the programs that typically get a lot of viewership across the nation are Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, and Georgia, to name a handful. Not Colorado and Colorado State. Deion Sanders' arrival in Boulder hasn't just helped the Buffaloes become a force ahead of their Big-12 move, but they're also extremely popular because of the NFL legend who is extremely real at all times in his interviews. Fans love that.

Next up is Colorado football's toughest test yet: The Oregon Ducks.