Lee Corso's best ‘College GameDay' moments: Headgear picks and an unexpected expletive
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.
Advertisement
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.
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.'
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
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!'
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.
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
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!'
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?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Central Ohio's Tala Ashe nominated for Tony Award for her role in 'English'
Moving all the way from Tehran, Iran, to Powell, Ohio, is not an easy thing to do. But all 6,474 miles were worth it for one family of three, so long as the daughter got to follow her dreams. And it was in Ohio that she was able to pursue her passion for acting, falling in love with playwrights like Lorraine Hansberry and Arthur Miller, eventually landing roles both on Broadway and television. And now, she's nominated for Tony Award. Actress Tala Ashe, known for her roles in Broadway theater and on television shows like "Smash," "As the World Turns" and DC's "Legends of Tomorrow," was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Sanaz Toossi's "English" premiered in 2022. The play is set in Karaj, Iran, and follows four adult classmates as they attempt to learn the English language. Cultural assimilation, language and identity are central themes in the play. "English" was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, making Toossi the first Iranian-American to receive the nomination. For Ashe, playing Elham — an unapologetically bold character working on her fifth attempt to learn English — was especially meaningful to her own experiences as an Iranian-American and her efforts to land roles that represent diverse voices. "I'm pulling from my mother and my grandmothers and my ancestors to play her," Ashe said. "It's always a fight for accurate and nuanced representation, so in some ways, getting to 'English' also feels like a full journey of unlocking that door." Being nominated for a Tony Award, after over a decade of playing roles in the entertainment industry, means everything to not just Ashe, but her parents, Shoreh Elhami and Javad Ashrafi, as well. "This nomination also just represents the culmination of a lot of heartbreak, a lot of hard work, and all my work, in some way, is as much for them as it is for me," Ashe said. With the support of her parents, Ashe was able to pursue acting, landing key roles on television shows like "Covert Affairs," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "30 Rock." However, she said theater is her first love. "I realized that a lot of what I'm seeking is about community, about building art together with people. And often, on television, you don't have the time and circumstances to do that," Ashe said. Ashe spent five years as Zari on DC's "Legends of Tomorrow" — the show's first Muslim-American superhero — where she did build that sense of community she had been seeking, but making her way back to theater for "English" had been a full-circle moment to not just act, but thoughtfully represent diversity. "Seeing stories about people that are different than us, especially excellently told stories, expands our minds, our empathy," Ashe said. "I love being an artist. I love being an actor, and I've realized that it's also important for me to recognize what I represent." Ashe and her co-star, Marjan Neshat, are the first Middle Eastern actresses nominated for a Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. The 78th annual Tony Awards will take place June 8 at 8 p.m. at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Trending features reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tala Ashe nominated for Tony Award for role in 'English' play
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Regina sisters embrace Ukrainian dancing at Mosaic and Japanese language at home
When audience members watch the Ukrainian dancers at this year's Mosaic festival, they may be forgiven for assuming that the dancers all speak just English or Ukrainian. But Kiko and Maya Malnyk have the heritages they've inherited from both their parents — learning Ukrainian folk dances from their father's side and speaking Japanese with their Japanese-born mother. "I sometimes think that maybe I'm a little bit special …because not a lot of people are just part Japanese and part Ukrainian," 11-year-old Kiko said. That's something their mother said she tries to get her two daughters to understand and appreciate. "I just keep telling them that they're lucky. They're just lucky that they have so many opportunities to learn," said Izumi Kanayama, adding they get to grow up in Canada and try things like Ukrainian dancing, but also get regular opportunities to visit her own home country of Japan. The girls' father, Chris Malnyk, has also seen how diverse the Ukrainian dancers are, bringing together people who don't necessarily have Ukrainian ethnicity or background. "There's quite a few people from Japan who are involved in it, at least three families," said Malnyk, adding that he could hear Japanese spoken at rehearsals at times. "It's really kind of unique and not what I would have expected going to a Ukrainian dance school. It's been multi-ethnic." Kanayama was born and raised in Japan before coming to Canada in 1995 to learn English and staying on to study economics. It was at the University of Regina that she met her husband through mutual friends. She exclusively speaks Japanese with her daughters so that they can communicate with their Japanese grandparents and extended family. "When they were little, I was just speaking to them in Japanese only. So we didn't do much writing or read that much, but then they just picked it up," Kanayama said. In addition to their Ukrainian dancing, both girls attend Japanese language classes on Saturdays, and even sit to eat meals at a kotatsu, the traditional low table. "We usually eat traditional Japanese food," said Kiko. "I really like it." Both parents feel that their children are fortunate to be able to see and embrace both sides of their cultural heritage. Kanayama said she wants her children to see it gives them opportunities other people may not have, and will help them become kind and productive humans. "I'm just hoping that exploring a different culture will bring richness to their lives."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
🚨 Nations League 2025: Spain to face Sweden in the semi-finals
UEFA held the draw on Friday morning to determine the semi-final matchups for the upcoming 2025 Women's Nations League. Spain will have to try their luck against Sweden, while Germany will face France on the other side of the bracket. Advertisement The first leg will be in Spain on October 24, and the return leg in Sweden on the 28th. If Spain loses, they will play against the loser of the other semi-final for the 3rd and 4th place match. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 David Ramos - 2025 Getty Images
