Ohio State’s marquee Week 1 matchup against Texas on Aug. 30 will serve as a first for many involved, with players such as Julian Sayin and Arch Manning likely making their inaugural debuts as starters for the Buckeyes and Longhorns.
But the likely top five tilt will also be a last for one of college football’s most prominent figures. ESPN and Ohio State announced on Tuesday that longtime “College Gameday” analyst Lee Corso will don his last headgear at Ohio Stadium prior to the Buckeyes’ and Longhorns’ matchup, marking a full-circle end to a nearly 30-year tradition for the former Indiana, Louisville and Northern Illinois coach.
Corso, who will retire after spending 38 college football seasons with ESPN following his Week 1 appearance, began his headgear tradition in Columbus on Oct. 5, 1996, before Ohio State’s home matchup against Penn State. Since then, Brutus Buckeye has been a common pick for Corso, who has selected and worn the headgear a record 45 times, seven more than the next closest school, Alabama (38).
Columbus has also been a popular location for Corso and his “College Gameday” crew. Out of the record 67 times the Emmy-winning show has featured an Ohio State game, 26 have been broadcast from Columbus — also the most all-time — with the Buckeyes boasting a 19-6 record in those occasions.
Ohio State and Corso last went to Columbus during the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff first-round matchup against Tennessee last November. They were featured seven times last season, including all four CFP wins as well as their wins against Penn State on the road and Indiana at home and Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
Ohio State has a 45-21 record when appearing on the pregame show, which, alongside Corso, will also feature host Rece Davis and analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee on Aug. 30.
