Lee Corso gifted original Ohio State Brutus Buckeye head from first College GameDay pick

After his final College GameDay, Lee Corso was given an appropriate gift by Ohio State — a vintage Brutus Buckeye head.

Brutus Buckeye presented the gift to Corso while on the field at Ohio Stadium for Ohio State’s win over No. 1 Texas on Saturday. The retro headgear looks like the one that he donned all the way back in 1996 for his first of hundreds of headgear picks.

Super cool: Ohio State and Brutus gave Lee Corso the original Buckeye head that he used for his first College Gameday headgear pick in 1996.

An appropriate send-off for a college football legend. 🔥🏈 pic.twitter.com/cuSe7bhh0A

— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) September 1, 2025

While we can’t confirm it was the original that was indeed use on that historic day almost 30 years ago, it would be hard to think of a more appropriate send-off gift for Corso.

Corso, who has been on College GameDay since the show began in 1987, made his first headgear selection on October 5, 1996, when he picked No. 3 Ohio State to defeat No. 4 Penn State — a prediction that proved prophetic when the Buckeyes steamrolled the Nittany Lions 38-7 later that day. Fittingly, 29 years later, Corso wrapped up his legendary College GameDay run with his 431st and final headgear pick when he predicted No. 3 Ohio State to defeat No. 1 Texas.

The final Lee Corso headgear pick on ESPN’s College GameDay. 🏈🤵‍♂️📺🎙️❤️ pic.twitter.com/QEl6jSjI3o

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 30, 2025

A record viewing audience tuned in to see Corso’s final headgear pick. Additionally, every team he coached (and played for in the case of Florida State) won on Saturday. And with South Carolina and Miami defeating Virginia Tech and Notre Dame, respectively, on Sunday, Corso’s final GameDay picks were a perfect 6-for-6.

It was a big day and weekend for Lee Corso. And the ESPN goodbye and his perfect weekend all came together in what was a perfect sendoff.