Lee Corso Predicts National Championship Winner Without Hesitation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Dec 21, 2024 9:55 AM ET

ESPN analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit shared a back-and-forth exchange in a social media video before joining the "College GameDay" crew on Saturday.

Herbstreit asked Corso about his thoughts on the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff and the longtime analyst quickly explained that he's sticking with his preseason pick for the national championship winner.

"Wonderful, I think it's right on target," Corso said. "I think Texas is going to win it all."

In Week 1, when "College GameDay" was in College Station, Texas, for a matchup between Texas A&M and Notre Dame, Corso dropped his early prediction.

"It's Texas versus Georgia," Corso said. "Texas wins the national championship."

As the Longhorns head into the College Football Playoff as the No. 5 seed in the nation, Corso is sticking with his preseason selection.

Texas enters the first round with a 11-2 record and a 7-2 mark in SEC play. They're fresh off a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.

The Longhorns have been dominant all season, aside from matchups against the Bulldogs. While they have struggled against Georgia, Texas has defeated four ranked teams: No. 10 Michigan, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 25 Vanderbilt and No. 20 Texas A&M.

They're heading into the game against Clemson as a 13.5-point favorite, per ESPN BET. ESPN's Matchup Predictor gives the Longhorns an 80.5% chance to defeat the Tigers.

Texas is led by quarterback Quinn Ewers. So far this season, the pro-style signal-caller has produced 25 touchdowns and 2,665 yards with a 66.2 completion percentage.

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

More must-reads: