Lee Corso’s College GameDay sendoff shattered ESPN viewership records

That's a heck of an exit for Lee Corso, the white-maned mascot of ESPN's entire college football coverage over the last three decades. Few in sports, or even in life, experience a career send-off surrounded by overwhelming positivity. Many legends never get to smell their flowers, but Corso had that opportunity this weekend following a few thousand weekends of service for football fans everywhere.

Lee Corso nailed two premier GameDay picks

The 90-year-old may have lost a step physically, but Coach Corso is never less sharp than a tack when it comes to analysis, like football's Hubie Brown. Apropriately, he schooled the rest of the College GameDay desk on two of the prime Week 1 contests.

Of course, he loyally sided his former school from way back when selecting the Florida State Seminoles to shock the country and upset Alabama in Tallahassee. The Crimson Tide came washed onshore as the No. 8 team in the country but packed up and set sail back to Tuscaloosa with a two-touchdown loss against an ACC club recovering from a 2-10 tally in 2024. Corso was the only member of the CGD panel to correctly go with the 'Noles.

Then, there was the big one. Fans online genuinely didn't know whether Corso would subvert expectations with a Hook 'Em or take the more storybook path and suit up in the Ohio State mascot head to complete the full circle moment (OSU was also Corso's very first head dress selection).

"Gimme my first love," he growled at the GameDay crew, who handed him the head of Brutus. Of course, Ohio State went on to take care of business at home vs. Texas, doing Coach Corso a last favor as he rode off into the sunset.