College football is back, baby! And with the return of college football comes the return of ESPN's beloved Saturday morning show, College Gameday, along with the show's iconic personality Lee Corso.
Corso, 89, has been an analyst on College Gameday since its first season on the air back in 1987. And over the years, the former college and professional football coach with 28 years of experience pacing the sidelines has become as synonymous with a Saturday morning as a cup of coffee and a hot breakfast.
College Gameday first began broadcasting in an ESPN studio, but in 1993 began traveling to different schools, as they do currently. And, that's when the show, with the backdrop of rabid college football fans holding up witty signs and with plenty of big-name personalities lending their analysis, really took off.
But Corso is the shining star of College Gameday-and for good reason. As part of the show's grand finale, Corso, with fans of the host school roaring in his ear, makes his pick on the featured game of the week, teasing his selection for suspense, then announcing the pick by donning an oversized mascot head or football helmet, to the delight or outrage of the mob behind him.
It makes for excellent and highly entertaining television. There's simply no better way to start your Saturday if you're a college football fan.
And in 2024, as always, Corso will be back, and so will the oversized mascot heads. The beloved College Gameday analyst threw fans a curveball when he was not at the desk for the first show of the season in Dublin, Ireland. The 89-year-old Corso decided not to make the international trip, though he is expected to make his first pick of the season in Week 1, when the show, featuring guest picker Johnny Manziel, heads to College Station for a clash between No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 7 Notre Dame.
If you're seeking to know Corso's pick, how it went down or everything in between, look no further than this article. First, let's dive into the matchup.
Week 0: The Matchup and Its Significance
Featured Game of the Week: No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M
No. 7 Notre Dame enters 2024, its third full season under head coach Marcus Freeman, fresh off of back-to-back seasons with nine-plus wins and bowl game victories. But there's a desire for more in South Bend. With an expanded College Football Playoff field-now 12 teams instead of four- a favorable schedule and a new starting quarterback in Duke transfer Riley Leonard, the Irish's national title dreams could be realized in '24.
The Fighting Irish will begin the season against Leonard's former head coach at Duke, Mike Elko, who in November of 2023 was hired to replace Jimbo Fisher as Texas A&M's new head coach. 18 players from the 2023 team exited throught the transfer portal, but Elko and his staff brought in 20 new players to the program. Sophomore quarterback Connor Weigman, who raced out of the gate in 2023 before a foot injury ended his season, has the tools to take the Aggies to the next level in the SEC. The biggest question mark for Elko and company? Can the defense, which allowed the 25th-most points per game in the nation last year, take a step forward in '24?
The contest could have implications at the end of the year for both teams, and figures to be one of the better games to watch in the Week 1 slate. Aggie Park, a 22-acre site at the heart of Texas A&M's campus, promises to be packed with fans and a fun atmosphere for College Gameday, which will only build the anticipation even more for Corso's selection.
That said, let's dive into Corso's history picking the Notre Dame-Texas A&M matchup.
Lee Corso’s Past Picks for Notre Dame, Texas A&M
Corso owns a 275-139 career record making headgear picks on College Gameday, according to Cole's Gameday Blog.
Notre Dame has appeared on College Gameday 35 times, (15-20 record) with its first appearance coinciding with the show's first on-campus telecast back in 1993. Corso, however, didn't begin making headgear picks until 1996.
Corso has picked 29 games involving Notre Dame. In those 29 games, the Fighting Irish have gone 13-16, but Corso has fared much better, correctly predicting the result of those games 20 times for a 20-9 record. The College Gameday personality is running hot at the moment, having correctly predicted the result of seven Notre Dame games in a row, most recently calling Ohio State's win over the Irish and then the Irish's win over Duke during the 2023 season.
On the other side, the Aggies have appeared on College Gameday nine times (1-8 record), with the program's first appearance coming back in 1995. Corso has picked eight games involving Texas A&M, with the Aggies going 1-7 in those contests, Corso has accurately predicted the result of six of those games, for a 6-2 overall record. Most recently, he correctly picked Ole Miss to defeat Texas A&M back in 2021.
Saturday's matchup will be the first-ever Texas A&M-Notre Dame clash on College Gameday, and thus, Corso's first time picking this particular matchup.
Corso's most memorable pick involving either team came this past season in 2023, when he picked No. 11 Notre Dame to defeat No. 17 Duke on the road. With comedian, actor and Duke alum Ken Jeong as a celebrity picker, Corso came out dressed as the Leprechaun, Notre Dame's mascot, and proceeded to do an Irish stepdance, boldly announcing his pick, which ultimately came to fruition.
Who did Corso pick for Saturday's matchup?
The Headgear Pick: Who Did Lee Corso Choose?
The Moment of Truth
It was quite a dramatic reveal as Corso disappeared from the GameDay set a few minutes before his pick. Then the camera cut to a giddy Corso, who eschewed merely headgear for a full outfit.
Corso brought out his leprechaun outfit for his game pick in College Station ☘️ pic.twitter.com/o0nMLU6KCd
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 31, 2024
Corso’s Chosen Team
In his first pick of the 2024 season, Corso picked No. 7 Notre Dame to defeat the Aggies on their home turf. He was the only member of the panel to pick the Fighting Irish.
Fan Reactions to Corso’s Pick
Fans loved Corso's fit, even if opinions on his pick were more split.
We're back pic.twitter.com/hjbD9sKMkZ
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 31, 2024
Tired: Corso headgear
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) August 31, 2024
Wired: Corso transforms into an actual leprechaun 🍀 https://t.co/qx80jnyUG3
College GameDay picks…
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) August 31, 2024
Desmond Howard: Texas A&M
Nick Saban: Texas A&M
Pat McAfee:Texas A&M
Johnny Manziel: Texas A&M
Lee Corso: Notre Dame
It was always the Fighting Irish for Coach. Go against the grain. pic.twitter.com/7YpTAwQGFr
Sorry, Coach. Notre Dame will have a life altering experience in SEC Country.
— PFSB College Football Rankings (@ThePFSBRankings) August 31, 2024
At least SOMEONE on the panel gets it 😤☘️ https://t.co/0QCihidJeR
— Josie Costigan (@josiecostigan) August 31, 2024
Turn me up Lee!!! https://t.co/yWxNFfszKF
— Sam Brunsman (@BrunsmanSam) August 31, 2024
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Did Lee Corso Pick Today? Week 1 College GameDay Headgear Choice.
