There's no better Saturday tradition than watching Lee Corso make his headgear pick on "College GameDay." Unfortunately, the time has come for him to make his final selection on ESPN's popular college football show.
Corso is retiring from "College GameDay" at the age of 90. He has been the heart and soul of the show since its inception in 1987. It wasn't until 1996 though that he made his first headgear pick. He put on the Brutus Buckeye and predicted Ohio State to defeat Penn State. His pick was rewarded, as the Buckeyes went on to win 38-7.
Over the years we've seen Corso mock Georgia's mascot, bring out a live Gator to show his support for Florida, and dress up as the Fighting Irish leprechaun from Notre Dame. He truly knows how to put on a show.
"Lee has been an indelible force in the growth of college football's popularity," ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler said. "He's a born entertainer and singular television talent. But at his heart he'll always be a coach, with an abiding love and respect for the game and the people who play it."
Corso isn't just an entertainer, he's great at making predictions.
Despite making over 400 headgear picks over the course of his career, 66.51% of Corso's picks have been correct. According to "Cole's College GameDay Blog," his overall record is 286-114.
During the 2024 season, Corso went 12-5 on headgear picks. That's not bad considering he's no longer in the prime of his career.
When Coach held a live gator
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 12, 2023
His 400th pick happens this Saturday on #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/OWxteEwvCs
On Saturday, Corso will get to preview a top-five showdown between Texas and Ohio State. It's a rematch of last season's Cotton Bowl Classic.
Even though Texas is a trendy pick, we can't dismiss the possibility of Corso picking Ohio State. After all, he refers to Brutus Buckeye as his "first love."
"College GameDay" will air at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN. There's no doubt in our mind that Kirk Herbstreit and the rest of the crew has a heartfelt tribute planned for Corso.
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