As everyone knows, ESPN decided that this year's national semi-final games would be played on New Year's Eve. However, this move backfired on ESPN. This morning, the New York Times reported that the viewership of the OU/Clemson and Bama/MSU games declined by 45% and 34%, respectively, compared to a year ago when the semi-final games were played on New Year's Day. Needless to say, ESPN may have to rethink the timeframe for these games next year.