ESPN College Gameday traveled to Austin, Texas, for a Week 8 battle between two blueblood programs in Georgia and Texas. And thankfully, beloved College Gameday analyst Lee Corso, who missed the last two shows due to health reasons, is back on the desk. That means that another headgear pick is on the way.
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 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 Georgia-Texas 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 8: The Matchup and Its Significance
Featured Game of the Week: No. 5 Georgia at No. 1 Texas
No. 5 Georgia travels to Austin to take on the top team in the nation in Texas in an appetizing SEC showdown. The Bulldogs have righted the ship after a tight loss to Alabama two weeks ago, as they easily dispatched Auburn then carried that momentum into a dominant first-half showing vs. Mississippi State before running out of steam in the second half. Even still, Georgia emerged with a 10-point victory to improve to 5-1. The expanded Playoff means that the Alabama loss won't hurt Georgia as much as it might in years past, but that's no consolation for Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart. He knows how massive a win on the road against the top-ranked team in the country would be. And if Smart and the 'Dawgs are going to pull off the upset, the defense, which ranks 20th in points allowed per game and 27th in total yards allowed per game, will likely be the biggest reason why.
The 'Dawgs defense will be tasked with stopping a Texas offense that didn't miss a beat when Heisman Trophy hopeful Quinn Ewers went down with an abdominal strain and missed three games, putting the more-than-capable Arch Manning under center. Ewers is back and fresh off of leading the Longhorns to a 34-3 win in the Red River Rivalry against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Longhorns' offense is a nightmare for opposing defenses for a number of reasons, but perhaps the biggest reason is its strength-in-numbers approach. Despite a rash of injuries to the running back room, three different Longhorns halfbacks have amassed at least 200 rushing yards. Eight different pass-catchers have caught at least one touchdown reception for Texas this year. Blowouts over No. 10 Michigan and No. 18 Oklahoma have left no doubts that this Texas team is for real. Even still, a convincing win over Georgia would far-and-away be the most impressive win on the Longhorns' resume thus far.
Georgia-Texas will feature two former Nick Saban coordinators in Smart, a defensive expert, and Steve Sarkisian, an offensive wizard. The Xs and Os battle between these two is one of the most intriguing storylines surrounding the game.
That said, let's take a look at Corso's history picking these two teams.
Lee Corso's Past Picks for Georgia, Texas
Georgia has appeared on College Gameday 37 times, tied for the sixth-most among all schools. Corso has picked the Bulldogs to win 13 times and has gone 8-5 in those games. Meanwhile, the Longhorns have made 24 appearances on College Gameday. Corso has put the Bevo headgear on his head 15 times, going 9-6 in those picks. He correctly picked Texas to defeat Michigan back in Week 2.
As for his most memorable selection involving either of these teams, it's hard to forget Corso's fateful pick of Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl. First, Corso pointed out that two of his colleagues had picked USC over the Longhorns. Then, he reminded viewers that he had said Texas was the most complete team all year. Finally, he boldly declared that Texas would "shock the entire universe, not just planet Earth" by defeating the Trojans. And that they did. Led by dual-threat QB Vince Young, the Longhorns pulled off the 41-38 win in an instant classic and one of the best college football games ever played.
Now, that's how you make a pick.
Let's see which team Corso picked on Saturday.
The Headgear Pick: Who Did Lee Corso Choose?
The Moment of Truth
After Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler picked Texas to win, Corso was up next. Per usual, he previewed his pick with a fun tidbit of information.
Would he go with the top-ranked Longhorns or the dominant Bulldogs?
Corso's Chosen Team
COACH IS GOING WITH THE LONGHORNS 🤘 pic.twitter.com/uDvU5JNR2H
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 19, 2024
"Go Longhorns," Corso said as he donned the headgear of the Texas mascot.
"Poor old Georgia," Rece Davis said as the College Gameday broadcast came to a close. "I don't know if Georgia can get a first down tonight."
Corso's Headgear Pick Record to This Point in the Season
Corso is 280-139 all-time in headgear picks and brings a perfect 5-0 record into Saturday's selection. He has missed the last two College Gameday shows due to health reasons.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Did Lee Corso Pick Today? Week 8 College GameDay Headgear Choice.
