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Lee Corso makes surprising national champion pick on his final 'College GameDay'

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 10:29 AM ET

Lee Corso has made his final college football national championship pick as an ESPN analyst, and he did not go with an obvious choice.

Corso appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday for the final time as a full-time member of the popular show’s panel. The 90-year-old announced last year that he would retire after Week 1, which was held in Columbus, Ohio, for the massive showdown between Texas and Ohio State.

During the show, the “GameDay” crew gave their picks for the College Football Playoff. Corso picked Penn State and LSU to reach the national championship game, with the Tigers prevailing.

“LSU, National champions.”

– Lee Corso on his final College Gameday #Corso #CollegeGameday #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/YrpNdgp2qD
— 104.5 ESPN (@1045espn) August 30, 2025

LSU is ranked No. 9 in the preseason AP poll, so Corso dug deep for that pick. He clearly thinks Brian Kelly’s team has a chance to be better this season than a lot of people expect.

Corso has been one of the main draws of “College GameDay” since the program premiered in 1987. He is most famous for his headgear picks, which began in 1996 with Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye mascot head.

After a lengthy coaching career that included stops at Louisville, Indiana, Northern Illinois and the USFL, Corso joined ESPN as an analyst in 1987. That is the same year “College GameDay” debuted, and Corso is the only personality who has been with the show since its inception.

Corso has had some health issues in recent years, but he has continued to make his popular headgear picks. He became emotional on the air during the 2023 season when ESPN paid tribute to his 400th headgear pick (video here).

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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