College football fans have been treated to some highly entertaining BCS and College Football Playoff championship games in the past decade, but the ratings king remains the 2006 Rose Bowl between USC and Texas, a back-and-forth thriller that had 35.6 million viewers.

FOX Sports analyst Stewart Mandel was asked in his latest mailbag if an Alabama-Ohio State title game on Jan. 9 could top the USC-Texas number, and he said yes, but emphasized that the Crimson Tide’s presence is the key:

As for the second part, consider that in 2014, Ohio State-Oregon drew 33.4 million. No disrespect to Oregon, but Alabama is a far bigger TV draw, and in fact, Ohio State and Alabama are the two most powerful brands in the sport today. But I don’t think it has to be Ohio State, either. An Alabama-Clemson rematch, with the Tide being billed as potentially the greatest team of all time if they win, would also likely top the Texas-USC number.

It’s hard to argue against either hypothetical matchup making for a must-watch game for football fans everywhere – as long as Alabama takes care of Washington in the Peach Bowl. Nick Saban’s squad is currently a 15-point favorite, according to Vegas Insider.