ESPN College Gameday, the beloved college football morning show heads to Norman for a tasty Top 25 showdown between No. 6 Tennessee and No. 15 Oklahoma. And another episode of Gameday means another headgear pick for the show's beloved star, 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.
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. The former Louisville coach first began making picks by donning mascot or helmet headgear in 1996
It makes for excellent and highly entertaining television. Over the years, many sports fans have started the day on Saturday by making sure to tune into ESPN College Gameday shortly before12 p.m. ET, traditionally when Corso makes his pick between the host school and its opponent.
So, if you're unable to tune into Corso's pick of the Tennessee-Oklahoma game, or you are and want a more detailed account of the selection—as well as Corso's past selections—look no further than this article.
First, let's dive into the matchup.
Week 4: The Matchup and Its Significance
Featured Game of the Week: No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma
ESPN's College Gameday heads to Norman, Okla. for the first time since the 2020 season for Oklahoma's showdown against Tennessee, which will be the Sooners' first-ever conference game in the SEC. And the Sooners will certainly face a worthy opponent in Tennessee for their first big SEC test.
Volunteers coach Josh Heupel's high-powered offense currently leads the nation in scoring and ranks second in total yards per game. Led by freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava and a two-headed monster in the backfield with junior Dylan Sampson and freshman DeSean Bishop, Tennessee has the personnel to give opposing defensive coordinators headaches. That's not even mentioning the Volunteers defense, which features one of the best defensive lines in the sport. Aside from a 51-10 blowout of then-No. 24 NC State in Week 2, Tennessee does not yet have a real statement win on its resume. But that could change with a win against the No. 15 Sooners.
Oklahoma blew out Temple in its opening game of the season, then sweated out a 16-12 win over Houston before defeating Tulane in a closer-than-it-looked 34-19 affair this past week. Sophomore QB Jackson Arnold's dual-threat capabilities have helped hide a questionable Sooners offensive line. The question is, does Arnold have enough firepower in his arm and legs to keep pace with the Volunteers' offensive attack?
Saturday's primetime matchup is a showdown between two former five-star recruit QBs from the 2023 recruiting class in Iamaleava and Arnold. The game will also be a homecoming of sorts for Heupel, who played QB for the Sooners and led the team to a national title in the 2001 Orange Bowl before serving as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator for Oklahoma under Bob Stoops after his playing career.
Both of these teams have visions of making the expanded College Football Playoff, and a win here for either school would likely look pretty nice on a resume when the CFP committee gets together in November.
With the stage set for the game, let's dive into Corso's history picking these two teams.
Lee Corso’s Past Picks for Tennessee, Oklahoma
Oklahoma will be making its 41st appearance on College Gameday, which is tied for the third-most appearances of all time. Corso has picked 38 games involving the Sooners, going 16-22 in those contests. Oklahoma has fared much better in those 38 contests, winning 26 of them.
Meanwhile, Tennesse has appeared on College Gameday 24 times. Corso has picked 16 games involving the Volunteers, going 11-5 in those games. Meanwhile, Tennessee has gone 9-7 in these contests.
This will be Corso's first time picking a Tennessee-Oklahoma matchup.
In terms of memorable picks involving either of these two teams, it's hard to forget Corso's pick of Oklahoma over Notre Dame in an October 2012 game. Corso, while donning a miniature Sooner Schooner on his head, fired a gun off on the set twice in his pick of Oklahoma. Even though the Fighting Irish ended up winning the game, Corso's pick easily ranks among his most memorable.
The Headgear Pick: Who Did Lee Corso Choose?
The Moment of Truth
Moments after fellow College Gameday analyst Pat McAfee faked out Tennessee fans with his pick, Corso, as he does better than anyone, teased a potential pick of Oklahoma to the fans in Norman.
"Oklahoma has won more games than any other college football team," Corso said. "And they're a big-league program, so they're gonna be tough to beat."
Corso then paused for a moment.
Corso’s Chosen Team
"Gimme Smokey!" Corso said as he donned the headgear of Volunteers mascot "Smokey." Clearly, Corso is a believer in the Volunteers' explosive offense.
Lee Corso makes his Tennessee-Oklahoma headgear pick to close out College GameDay in Norman. 🏈📺🎙️ pic.twitter.com/QqLxSdFCBn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 21, 2024
Corso’s Headgear Pick Record To This Point in the Season
Corso has a 278-139 record all-time. Corso is 3-0 on headgear picks this season. In Week 1, his first appearance on College Gameday in 2024, Corso was the only analyst to pick Notre Dame over Texas A&M, and the Fighting Irish indeed defeated the Aggies 23-13.
Then, in Week 2, Corso picked Texas to beat Michigan in a memorable selection. The Longhorns then went out and completely dismantled the Wolverines 31-12 on the road.
Then, Corso picked LSU to defeat South Carolina in Week 3. Early on in the game, the selection did not look good, as the Gamecocks, backed by a roudy home crowd, raced out to a 17-0 lead. But a furious comeback by the Tigers resulted in a 36-33 win, preserving Corso's perfect record.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Did Lee Corso Pick Today? Week 4 College GameDay Headgear Choice.
