If you’ve watched college football on a Saturday, odds are you’ve also watched Lee Corso.
Corso, the longtime ESPN analyst, will retire from “College GameDay” after Week 1 of the 2025 season, ending a 38-year run. The 89-year-old became a Saturday morning staple for fans with his weekly headgear selections, in which he predicted which school would win the chosen “GameDay” matchup by donning a mascot head of his pick.
By doing it week after week — more than 400 times — he endeared himself to fans nationwide.
Corso has handled dogs, chickens and reptiles on air. He has shaken Alabama mascot Big Al’s trunk, dressed as the USC Trojan and walked through a makeshift duck pond while twinning with the Oregon Duck — all in pursuit of delivering the perfect Saturday selection.
Before Corso makes his final pick on Aug. 30, let’s revisit some of his most notable moments.
Can he say that …?
Arguably Corso’s most viral and replayed moment, he had to apologize for letting slip a word typically censored on television.
While teasing his pick between SMU and Houston in 2011, Corso attempted to hype up the Houston crowd with a fake-out. He held an SMU megaphone up to his mouth but then tossed it with a profane exclamation.
“Ah, f– it!”
Co-hosts Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler and guest picker Carl Lewis all cracked up as Corso put on the Houston Cougar head.
He waved cheerfully in the moment but later publicly apologized.
“Earlier today on ‘College Gameday,’ while picking the SMU-Houston game, I got a bit excited and used an expletive that I shouldn’t have used,” Corso said. “I apologize and can promise it won’t happen again.”
‘That dog is ugly!’
Before a matchup between Alabama and Georgia in 2008, Corso had some choice words for the most famous English bulldog in college sports.
“I would have gone to Georgia if I didn’t go to Florida State, but that dog is ugly,” he said to Uga VII before donning an elephant head to signal he predicted a Crimson Tide win.
Eleven years later, Corso looked into the wrinkled face of another Georgia pup in a red jersey, Uga X, and expressed regret about his past comment … kind of.
“I want to apologize for calling you ugly. I have had a heavy heart ever since then. I hope my words didn’t do anything to help you lose that game against Alabama. I want you to know I love you, and I want you to know I’m picking you to win this game.
“But I still think you’re ugly!”
LC apologizes to Uga for calling him ugly in 2008!! Too funny pic.twitter.com/K21MRKM7UX
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 21, 2019
Uga’s revenge
Corso tried to make amends with Uga in 2023 by recording a cutesy video with a Georgia helmet and a bulldog labeled “Not the actual Uga.”
But that dog made his stance clear by popping a squat while Corso was mid-sentence.
“He s— right on my foot!” Corso said through laughter.
Once he stopped giggling, Corso made a statement to the real Uga,
“Wherever you are, I want you to know I really don’t think you’re ugly … maybe a little bit!”
Corso rides with the Ducks, literally
One thing about Corso: He won’t walk back his picks. But he might ride away with them.
In a 2009 top-10 matchup between Oregon and USC, Corso chose the Ducks to pull off the upset. To illustrate how strongly he believed in Oregon, Corso put on his duck head before promptly hopping on the back of a motorcycle and riding off the set.
Lee Corso, the pumpkin king
Move over Jack Skellington, there’s a new pumpkin king in town.
Or, rather, in Columbus, Ohio.
Ahead of Ohio State and Penn State’s matchup on Oct. 28, 2017, Corso made his regular weekly selection with an irregular mascot head. Corso chose the Buckeyes to reign victorious, but instead of putting on Brutus’ head, Corso pulled on a pumpkin with an image of Brutus carved into it.
THE Best pick in the 🎃 patch!
Corso goes PUMPKIN @Brutus_Buckeye!#GoBucks @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/N1N7DCYOSD— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) October 28, 2017
‘GameDay’ Founding Father
When “GameDay” made a stop at James Madison in October 2015 for the Dukes’ matchup against Richmond, Corso took a presidential approach to announcing his pick. He donned a white wig, a triangular hat and a colonial outfit to resemble the university’s namesake and declared JMU had “nothing to fear today but fear itself.” (The quote is actually from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who entered the White House nearly 100 years after James Madison died.)
After (incorrectly) predicting JMU would win, Corso donned a Duke Dog head and waved as fans tossed purple streamers over him.
There IS only one Lee Corso.
Thank you, Coach 💜💛#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/jSxEll5Xye
— James Madison Athletics (@JMUSports) April 17, 2025
“What a great day to be an American,” Rece Davis said. “Corso for president!”
Corso picks Buckeyes. Crowd goes nuts. Pun intended.
In Corso’s first-ever headgear selection on Oct. 5, 1996, he chose Ohio State to defeat Penn State, and he was right. The Buckeyes demolished the Nittany Lions 38-7 after Corso, for the first time, showed the fans who he thought would win instead of telling them.
“I like Ohio State, 24-13,” said Kirk Herbstreit in what was his first appearance as a “College GameDay” analyst.
Throwback to Lee Corso’s very first headgear pick on College GameDay 👏 pic.twitter.com/5DRKwOwuAe
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 12, 2023
“All right, good pick. I’ll tell you one thing,” Corso said. He then reached for the head of Brutus Buckeye, the Ohio State mascot, under the desk and put it on.
“Buckeyes!”
Texas travels to Columbus to face Ohio State on Aug. 30, the day of Corso’s final appearance behind the “GameDay” desk. Could he end his illustrious run with a full-circle moment back to Brutus?
(Photo: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)