At ESPN, record-breaking ratings have become a weapon, and Pat McAfee is proving he knows how to use it. The massive viewership numbers have provided the former Indianapolis Colts punter with more than just bragging rights. They added fuel to an ongoing power struggle behind the scenes.

McAfee just shared the post on his Instagram story that the episode on Week 14 is now the second most-watched regular-season GameDay episode ever. The 3.1 million average viewers didn’t just represent a number; it was a statement that solidified McAfee’s leverage within the company.

The viewership even beat all competing shows by 31%. During the final hour, it averaged 3.9 million viewers and peaked at 4.5 million, which is one of the highest peaks the show has ever seen. It’s not just ESPN.

FOX reported that the game saw an impressive viewership of 18.4 million viewers. It is now the second-most-watched college football game for the network. For such historic TV ratings, the game was equally epic.

Ohio State struggled early when quarterback Julian Sayin threw an interception. But after securing a 17–6 halftime lead, they never lost momentum, eventually closing out the season with a dominant 27-9 victory over the Wolverines. And the energy was infectious throughout the game.

Even the chilly weather in Ann Arbor was easily cut by the heat of the rivalry between the two teams. Maybe that is what inspired the former Indianapolis Colts player to pull off a hilarious stunt during the show.

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit even shared a clip of him sitting casually in the freezing air, while everyone else stayed wrapped in blazers and hats. This moment quickly caught attention and gained traction on social media.

Now, apart from The Game, McAfee has been making plenty of buzz behind the scenes at the network as well.

Pat McAfee creates chaos at ESPN

The new ratings record has seemingly only boosted McAfee’s growing influence at the network. The WWE President, Nick Khan, during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, talked about whether there is any tension between McAfee and certain executives.

Khan explained that after one ESPN executive was pushed out, several others who had previously butted heads with McAfee suddenly started reaching out to make peace. One even asked to meet in person. And McAfee had a simple response to that particular request. “You’re next,” the message read.

He didn’t deny sending it, either.

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This clearly hints that McAfee isn’t afraid to call out people who crossed him, and that he has the power to do it. This was a clear reference to an incident from 2024, when he publicly called ESPN executive Norby Williamson a “rat,” accusing him of leaking negative TV ratings about The Pat McAfee Show to reporters to make the show look bad.

Three months later, Williamson was gone. Now, many who clashed with McAfee in the past seem to be on high alert. ESPN has clarified that McAfee had nothing to do with Williamson’s departure and that it stemmed from unrelated issues.

Still, it seems people have doubts. And even if he wasn’t involved, it’s clear that people at the network are being extra careful not to get on McAfee’s bad side.