Penn State has always been a part of Lee Corso’s legacy on ESPN’s College Gameday, just on the wrong side of it more than most. Corso made a headgear pick on a Penn State game 26 times and picked against the Nittany Lions 19 of those times, including his first-ever headgear prediction.
25 years ago today, Lee Corso made his first headgear pick on College GameDay by wearing the Brutus Buckeye head and chose Ohio State to beat Penn State. Pay homage. pic.twitter.com/UgC2cSCucp
— HOMAGE (@HOMAGE) October 5, 2021
Lee Corso set to retire after Week 1 of 2025 season
Corso is set to officially retire after Week 1 of the 2025 season, when he’ll likely be picking an Ohio State game again. The defending national champions host Texas in Week 1, almost certainly with College Gameday in attendance. If that is the destination, it will give Corso the opportunity to pick an Ohio State game for the 65th time, the most of any team since he began making headgear picks by putting on the Brutus headgear in 1996.
Corso has picked Ohio State to win 45 times, including the 12 times he predicted the Buckeyes to beat the Nittany Lions. He is 10-2 in those games. Yet, despite that longtime love affair with Ohio State throughout his legendary career on the show, Corso had multiple unforgettable moments that have forever endeared him to Penn State fans.
Lee Corso’s best Penn State moments
Maybe the best was when the then 82-year-old Corso crowd surfed outside of Beaver Stadium in 2017. He picked Penn State that day, and the Nittany Lions defeated Michigan 42-13.
Two years ago, Lee Corso crowd surfed in Happy Valley 😆 pic.twitter.com/HqukKn0nZB
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 21, 2019
The next year, Corso and the Gameday crew came back to Happy Valley for Penn State and Ohio State, and while Coach Corso got his pick wrong, his headgear fake-out was legendary.
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 9 Penn State: Picks on ESPN's College GameDay.
— Garrett Stepien (@GarrettStepien) September 29, 2018
- Chris Fallica: Ohio State.
- David Pollack: Ohio State.
- Desmond Howard: Penn State.
- Keegan-Michael Key: Penn State.
- Lee Corso: Penn State.
Corso had the head-gear fake of the century. pic.twitter.com/UjvQfy100A
In 2019, Corso once again correctly predicted Penn State to beat Michigan in Happy Valley and led the We Are chant.
WE ARE ready, and so is Corso!
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 19, 2019
(📍 @NationalGuard) pic.twitter.com/puPnZTWqIC
And you know Corso loved a White Out. The last time Corso donned the Nittany Lion headgear was for Penn State’s 2021 White Out victory over Auburn in Week 3 with Saquon Barkley at his side.
There's nothing better than a White Out game ⚪️
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 18, 2021
Corso's taking Penn State tonight! pic.twitter.com/Pr96zniYvr
More than anything, Corso will be remembered for wearing the Brutus Buckeye headgear, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t beloved in Happy Valley, as he is all across the country.