Lee Corso made his “College GameDay” return Saturday after missing the past two weeks of the show due to health reasons, and he sent the Texas fans in attendance into a frenzy after picking them to not only defeat Georgia on Saturday but also win the national championship.
Before the show, though, in a clip filmed by fellow ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Corso also revealed that he was wearing a pin on the right side of his suit in support of his granddaughter — who had a brain tumor removed — and her fight against brain cancer.
of breast cancer research. Screengrab via X/@KirkHerbstreit
“She’s all right now,” Corso said in the clip, adding she is in her mid-30s, “but in support of brain cancer and research, I’m wearing this pin.”
Corso, who said he was doing OK when Herbstreit asked, said he missed the shows, which included the one last Saturday in Eugene — which Corso has called his favorite “College GameDay” — before Oregon hosted Ohio State.
“He’s not going to be here this week,” host Rece Davis told reporters before the Oregon show, according to Sports Illustrated. “He’s doing better. He’s been a little bit under the weather for the last couple of weeks.”
Corso, who has been a staple of the show as an analyst for more than three decades, also missed the previous week’s broadcast from Berkeley before California hosted Miami.
But he was back for Saturday, and in the early portion of the show, Davis announced Corso’s return and led a round of applause from the other analysts from the set.
Corso then raised his right hand and made a “hook ‘em” signal, which prompted Herbstreit to remind viewers that Corso picked the Longhorns to win the national championship during the preseason.
Then, Texans fans watching from behind the “College GameDay” set started chanting his first name.
Texans entered the weekend at the top of the Associated Press’ most recent rankings, led by quarterback Quinn Ewers — with some Arch Manning cameos mixed in when Ewers was hurt, too — and an offense that has topped 30 points against two top-20 opponents already in 2024.
Georgia will enter Saturday night’s game looking to secure a third consecutive win and holds a victory against a ranked opponent — then-No. 14 Clemson in the opener — this year, too, but they lost their most recent test against a top-five team when the Bulldogs dropped a thriller against Alabama last month.
