Lee Corso said goodbye to ESPN’s College GameDay after 38 years earlier this season, but he hasn’t been forgotten.
Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson was the guest picker on Saturday’s edition of the show. As a Georgia alum, the decorated broadcaster was there to show support for his Bulldogs as they prepare to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide for the SEC Championship.
When the moment of truth arrived, Nick Saban picked Alabama to beat Georgia, to the surprise of no one. Following him was Johnson, decked out in Bulldogs gear. After pondering Saban’s prediction for a few moments, Johnson turned towards the legendary head coach and blurted out Corso’s iconic “not so fast, my friend” before picking Georgia to win.
Ernie Johnson pays tribute to Lee Corso by hitting Nick Saban with a “not so fast my friend” in their Georgia-Alabama picks. pic.twitter.com/Mraeg8EiAt
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 6, 2025
Corso would often deploy the phrase in the same way, countering a prediction that differed from his, although he would also sometimes get tricky and reverse course with his prediction in the end. Such was the magic of Lee Corso.
Corso recently shared that he wasn’t enjoying his GameDay retirement, so perhaps we’ll see him make a guest appearance at some point in the future. That seems most likely if they show returns to Tallahassee, though given how FSU is playing these days, the odds aren’t great.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.