Ohio State mascot Brutus interacts with Lee Corso on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the College Football Playoff first round game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024.

Legendary ESPN "College GameDay" analyst Lee Corso will appear in his final episode of the longtime pregame show when Texas travels to Ohio State in Week 1 of the college football season.

Corso, 90, has been the heartbeat of college football for decades, dating to his time as a coach at Louisville and Indiana. He further became a household name due to his infectious personality when he was hired by ESPN in 1987.

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Corso has appeared on nearly every episode of "GameDay," and he was a part of its first crew when the show debuted in 1993. His famed headgear picks perhaps have been the show's brightest spot since he first threw on the Buckeyes' mascot head in 1996.

It's only fitting Corso is heading back to Ohio Stadium for his final "College GameDay" appearance. That's where he made his first-ever headgear pick for Ohio State-Penn State.

Who will Corso's final headgear pick be? Here's a prediction of who Corso will pick for Week 1's marquee game between Ohio State and Texas.

Lee Corso final headgear pick prediction

Corso has quite the all-time record in his headgear picks. He''s 286-144 since he debuted the headgear pick in 1996.

He has picked Ohio State 45 times, more than any other program in college football. That's why it's only fitting he goes out on "College GameDay" with not only his first-ever selection, but also the team he has chosen the most.

While Corso might be inclined to pick Texas, which is No. 1 in both the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll, he has a special connection with the Buckeyes due to history. The side-by-side video that's undoubtedly to arise showing Corso's first time to final time picking Brutus Buckeye will almost certainly pull at the heartstrings of college football fans.

Some fans suggested "College GameDay" should head to Tallahassee, Florida, for Alabama vs. Florida State in Week 1 because Corso attended and played at Florida State. However, Corso's history, along with Texas-Ohio State being No. 1 vs. No. 2 according to the Coaches Poll, likely was too much to pass up for ESPN's top college football crew.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will Lee Corso's final 'College GameDay' headgear pick be? Ohio State-Texas prediction

Reporting by Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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