I don't think it matters near as much when it comes to the marquee games (ie PSU vs OSU is going to draw huge ratings regardless of time slot if we both enter the game undefeated / 1 loss) compared to the lesser games that get the benefit of the travel crew at your stadium and a 2 hour preview show that highlights the teams.
"
1. Ohio State at Oregon
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 10.4 million
Oregon’s 32-31 win over
Ohio State in the top-three matchup drew the largest primetime audience for a regular season Big Ten conference game since 2008. The game averaged 10.2 million viewers across
NBC,
Peacock and
NBC Sports Digital. NBC Sports’ audience peaked at 13.4 million viewers in the game’s final minutes. Ohio State-Oregon is the most-watched primetime regular-season matchup between Big Ten teams since Oct. 25, 2008 (
Penn State-Ohio State, 10.4 million viewers on
ABC)."
Oregon-Ohio State now ranks second to Georgia-Alabama in TV ratings through the first seven weeks of the college football season.
www.on3.com
I know that CBS drew better ratings with the SECs #1 game at 330 than they have with the typical 2nd or 3rd pick Big 10 games in the same slot.
Overall, the brands involved, the stakes, they matter a lot more than a specific time slow (if noon was the best slow, you better believe that ABC would be sticking their best game in it weekly too). However, when it comes to pumping up a week with no marquee games, Fox is doing well in the noon slot.