USC Trojans’ perfect tribute to Lee Corso is legendary originally appeared on The Sporting News
Lee Corso’s farewell on ESPN’s College GameDay was a celebration of legacy, laughter, and loyalty—and no stat encapsulates his remarkable run quite like his perfect record picking the USC Trojans. Over his 37 seasons with the show, Corso donned the Trojan headgear 17 times. Each time, USC won. That’s 17 picks, 17 wins—a flawless streak in a sport built on unpredictability.
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According to Lev Akabas of Cole’s Gameday Blog, Corso is undefeated when picking USC, going 17-0 throughout his GameDay career. Whether the Trojans were top-ranked powerhouses or underdogs in high-stakes clashes, Corso’s faith in them was unwavering—and always correct.
Corso made his final headgear pick this past Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, choosing his “first love,” the Ohio State Buckeyes, by putting on Brutus’ head one last time. The emotional moment marked the end of an era, as Corso signed off where it all began—in the same city where he first wore a mascot head in 1996. Since that day, his headgear picks became the highlight of Saturday mornings and a cultural staple in college football fandom.
But it was his connection with USC that stood out among decades of predictions. From Heisman-winning rosters under Pete Carroll to gritty late-season battles in the Pac-12, Corso picked the Trojans across eras, head coaches, and quarterbacks—and never once missed.
Among his 17 victorious picks were some of USC’s most memorable moments:
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In 2004, Corso picked USC to defeat Notre Dame in South Bend—a game that ended in a commanding 41-10 Trojans win, paving the way to a national championship.
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In 2006, he predicted USC would upset No. 8 Cal. The Trojans went on to win 23-9, clinching a spot in the Rose Bowl.
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Most recently, Corso backed USC against UCLA in 2022, a game the Trojans won 48-45 in a dramatic thriller that kept their CFP hopes alive.
Through it all, his picks became part of the USC gameday ritual. When Corso reached under the desk and pulled out the Trojan helmet and sword—sometimes shouting “Fight On!” with theatrical flair—Trojans fans took it as a good omen. And with each win, the legend of the streak grew.
“I always loved when he picked us,” said longtime USC fan Joel Martinez, who’s followed GameDay since the early 2000s. “It just felt like we had the football gods on our side when Corso put on the helmet.”
Corso’s perfect USC record stands out even more when compared to his picks for other blueblood programs. While he had strong showings with teams like Alabama and Florida State, none matched the consistency he had with the Trojans. Against the chaos of college football, Corso seemed to have an uncanny read on USC’s pulse.
The Trojan headgear also became one of his most theatrical choices. With its gleaming gold crest and iconic look, Corso’s entrances wearing the helmet were show-stoppers—sometimes even including a sword swing or a mock Trojan war cry. Few props captured his showmanship as well as that one did.
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Corso himself never spoke publicly about the streak, but it’s hard to imagine he didn’t notice. His picks were often made to stir the crowd, but with USC, it always seemed personal. Whether he saw something others didn’t, or whether it was simply one of college football’s great quirks, his record stands as an unmatched feat.
As College GameDay moves forward without him, co-host Rece Davis has made it clear: there won’t be another person wearing mascot headgear at the end of the show. “Anyone who tries to put on a mascot headgear to make a pick at the end of the show, I will deliver a form tackle that would make Chris Spielman jealous,” Davis joked.
The show will go on, but the magic that Corso brought—the unpredictability, the laughs, the heart—won’t be duplicated. His influence shaped GameDay into the institution it is today, inspiring a generation of fans and analysts alike.
Corso will now return home to enjoy time with his family, cheer on his great-grandchildren, and reflect on a career that made college football better every Saturday morning.
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But in Trojan lore, his legacy is forever sealed. Seventeen picks. Seventeen wins. An undefeated streak for the ages. And a fitting tribute to a man who, in the words of many fans this past weekend, never picked with stats alone—he picked with heart.
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