COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Just as it was the first time, Lee Corso’s final headgear pick was Brutus Buckeye.
Corso selected the third-ranked Buckeyes to beat top-ranked Texas on his final appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday.
Corso made the prediction on the 50-yard line at Ohio Stadium 16 minutes before kickoff, quite a change from the first time in 1996 when it was done in the parking lot outside the Horseshoe.
“To everyone who has been a part of the journey, thank you,” Corso said during the opening segment of Saturday’s show.
It is the 45th time Corso donned Brutus Buckeye’s head. Ohio State is 31-14 the previous occasions.
Coach Ryan Day gave Corso an Ohio State helmet with a buckeye leaf on it for each time he chose the Buckeyes. Day also gave Corso an additional sticker to put on in case he picked the Buckeyes.
A local restaurant also made an 85-pound cake of Brutus’ head.
Corso, who turned 90 on Aug. 7, has been a part of “GameDay” since its start in 1987 and has made pregame shows entertaining under a simple philosophy: “Football is just the vehicle. It’s entertainment, sweetheart.”
The three-hour show was a celebration of Corso more than a finale. Besides looking back at Corso’s career, the show analyzed Saturday’s key games and included an interview with Bill Belichick, who makes his debut with North Carolina on Monday night against Texas Christian.
It also was GameDay’s 26th appearance in Columbus. It was outside Ohio Stadium on Oct. 5, 1996, where Corso’s popular headgear prediction segment began.
Corso donned Brutus Buckeye’s head before Ohio State faced Penn State, and the rest is history.
Corso has worn 69 different schools’ mascot headgear and has dressed up as Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish leprechaun, the Stanford tree, and historic figures James Madison and Benjamin Franklin. However, Brutus remains Corso’s first love, wearing it 45 times.
Corso has a 66.5% winning rate on his headgear predictions (286-144), which is much better than his 73-85-6 mark in 15 years as a coach at Louisville, Indiana, and Northern Illinois.
Besides ESPN, Fox Sports showed Corso’s pick.
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