Photo credit: Cotton Bowl Classic

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic once again placed The American Dream City in the national spotlight, with a Nielsen-reported audience of more than 9.4 million viewers.

The game, which saw Ohio State defeat USC at AT-T Stadium, delivered a 5.9 overnight TV rating. That number marks the highest-rated non-College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl of the New Year's Six era, which began in 2015, and is the highest rated Cotton Bowl viewership in 20 years.

The game was the 82nd Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and the ninth played at AT-T Stadium in Arlington.

After claiming a national championship and a Cotton Bowl Classic at AT-T Stadium in the span of three years, the Ohio State Buckeyes will return to Arlington later this year, facing TCU on September 18, 2018.