Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; ESPN analysts Kirk Herbstreit (left) and Lee Corso get ready to begin ESPN College Game Day, at the University of Texas on the South Mall, before a game between the Texas Longhorns and the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Lee Corso Makes Shocking Final College GameDay Headgear Pick

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By JD Andress | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET

For nearly 40 years, college football fans have grown accustomed to turning their TVs on and seeing Lee Corso dawn on their screens every Saturday in the fall during. In 1996, when he donned his first mascot headgear, it became an instant classic among the fans and was a staple of the five-minute window before the chaos of college football ensued.

Now, at 90 years old, Corso is hanging it up, but not so fast, my friend. He had one more piece of headgear to pick on College GameDay in one of the most anticipated games of week one: the Texas Longhorns vs. the defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

With his final choice, Corso picked the Buckeyes and donned their headgear, for one last time.

The Story Behind The Headgear

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite his accomplishments as a coach and a player, Corso's most significant impact will be with his everlasting impression on families across America. No matter what was going on in a person's life, they could count on his ability to make them laugh on Saturday mornings

Over the past 30 years, he has made 430 picks across the college football seasons, and today, he has made 431. Of those choices, he has picked the Buckeyes the most, 45 times (46 if he picks them today), followed by Alabama (38), LSU (25), Florida (22), and Oregon (21).

The moment is full circle for Corso, capping off his legendary career. His first headgear pick was in Columbus, where they hosted College GameDay, while the Buckeyes hosted Penn State. His first-ever pick, he put on the "Brutus Buckeye" mascot head, signifying the beginning of something that would transcend the evolution of college football.

Similar to today's matchup, the Buckeyes were ranked third in the country and hosted the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions. They would go on to dominate the game 38-7. The location of the game led to the tradition, with Kirk Herbstreit's wife (girlfriend at the time) being a cheerleader for the Buckeyes. Corso called him up and asked if he could borrow the headgear, and originally, he was turned down, but a lucky second chance led to one of the greatest traditions in the sport.

Corso's selection bodes well for the Buckeyes' odds of winning the highly anticipated matchup. He owns a 286-144 all-time record in his selections and boasts a .665 all-time winning percentage. While the tradition is over, the memories he created will last forever because you can't talk about college football without talking about Lee Corso.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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