Revisiting Lee Corso's 1999 perfect 'GameDay' headgear record that lifted ESPN show to iconic status

"Penn State by a field goal!" 

After a simple declaration on Aug. 28, 1999, Lee Corso reached into a trash bag and pulled out the Nittany Lion headgear. He put it on. He waved. Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler laughed. The crowd outside Beaver Stadium roared. Corso confirmed his pick one more time: "Penn State!"

Few people knew that would be the start of a perfect season on ESPN's "College GameDay." Fewer people would believe at the time this practice would be appointment viewing from 11:45 a.m. to noon for the entire first quarter of the 21st century.

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Revisiting Lee Corso's perfect season in 1999 

Corso will make his final "GameDay" headgear pick Saturday minutes before the much-anticipated showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. According to ESPN stats, Corso is 286-144 on headgear picks – a record that gained him far more notoriety than his 73-85-6 coaching record at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois from 1969-84.

Corso made his first headgear selection at Ohio Stadium before No. 3 Ohio State beat No. 4 Penn State 38-7 on Oct. 5, 1996.

Three years later, he started his perfect 11-0 season on headgear picks with No. 3 Penn State's 41-7 blowout victory against No. 4 Arizona, which was a little more than a field goal for the point spread. Fox Sports' Chris "The Bear" Fallica – a researcher and contributor for ESPN's "College GameDay" from 1996-2022 – can pull up the spreadsheet with the games, spreads and results. 

"Yep, 11-0," he told The Sporting News. 

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The impact of that season, however, went beyond the picks. It launched "GameDay" into the mainstream. Fallica does not want to use hyperbole, but he has the right perspective. 

"Does the show have the popularity and success that it did if Lee doesn't have this unimaginable run and Florida State doesn't win the title along with Michael Vick and this perfect confluence of events?" Fallica asked before answering. "Who knows? That season certainly was a turning point – a pivotal point – for the show and him."

"College GameDay" didn't go on the road every week in 1999. The next trip wouldn't be until Sept. 18, 1999 – when No. 4 Florida met No. 2 Tennessee. That was the marquee game in the SEC at the time – their fifth straight top-10 showdown. The Gators beat Tennessee 23-21 that day. Corso, of course, picked Florida and coach Steve Spurrier, who dropped the famous "You can't spell Citrus without U-T" jab two years earlier. Florida was 4-1 against the Vols in those five games. 

"That was a close one that could have gone either way, I guess," Spurrier told SN. "That was a good win against Tennessee. There are a lot of games against Tennessee that stick out in my mind, that one maybe not as much I guess because we didn't finish very well that year."

In other words, there is another game that sticks out more. That is part of a 1999 college football season that had it all.

Michigan State Athletics

Nick Saban approves special 'GameDay' access

On Sept. 25, 1999, No. 4 Michigan grinded out a 21-16 victory at No. 20 Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. The Wolverines limited Ron Dayne – the NCAA's all-time leading rusher – to just 88 rushing yards. Corso improved to 3-0 with that pick – one of two times he picked Michigan that season. 

Would Corso do that again on Oct. 9, 1999?

Michigan State coach Nick Saban – who had led the Spartans to a 28-24 upset against No. 1 Ohio State the previous season – let the cameras in for an all-access piece ahead of the showdown with No. 3 Michigan. That is right. The coach who later made "rat poison" a part of the college football lexicon let everybody from ESPN in. 

The Wolverines and Spartans – ranked No. 11 – entered their Oct. 9 showdown with matching 5-0 records. Bill Burke – Michigan State's quarterback – was preparing for a matchup against Michigan quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Henson. 

"(Saban) was always trying to protect us from getting caught up in our success and our own distractions," Burke told SN. "The tension around the building was higher when we played Michigan anyway. It was difficult. It wasn't a normal week. It's tough to distinguish or not distinguish between those games, but it's hard to ignore when you have national TV cameras following you around."

Corso took advantage of the access. "GameDay" moved inside the stadium during the telecast. Corso picked the Spartans. 

"Corso didn't like that Tom Brady wasn't playing all the time," Fallica said. "They were rotating Drew Henson in there. That might have been one of those deals where he didn't like the two-QB situation."

Burke recalled the early turning point with 7:12 left in the first quarter. 

The Spartans worked on a trick play during practice that week, but it had little success. Saban also switched another game-day detail. Backup quarterback Matt Bitonti gave Burke the signals instead of assistant coach Bobby Williams. When Bitonti lifted his arm and scratched his arm-pit – the quite-literal sign for "flea flicker" – Burke did a double take. 

"Let's do it and see how it goes," Burke said. "It worked to perfection."

Burke hit Plaxico Burress – who had 10 catches for 255 yards in the game – and the Spartans scored on a 1-yard run by T.J. Duckett afterward. That clinched Corso's first upset pick of 1999. 

Brady finished 30 of 42 for 285 yards with two TDs in the final eight minutes, but Michigan State held on for a 34-31 victory. 

Burke still pictures the television cameras showing Brady – who went on to win seven Super Bowls in the NFL – walking off the field in dejections. It's one of those magical moments that helped elevate the on-campus "GameDay" experience. Burke still remembers the post-game celebration and singing the "Victory for MSU" in the locker room.  

"There is really no other time where I can feel as good singing that song, as when we beat Brady and the Wolverines," Burke said. 

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Lee Corso, 'GameDay' were on Virginia Tech early

Rewind back to that Aug. 28, 1999 show before the Penn State-Arizona game. In a previous segment, Corso let out a bold prediction. 

"I like Virginia Tech to win the Big East and go to New Orleans and play in the title game," Corso said on the telecast.  

The Hokies were ranked No. 13 in the AP Preseason Poll, but freshman quarterback Michael Vick had emerged as a star early in the season. On Oct. 16, 1999,  the Hokies – now No. 4 – welcomed No. 16 Syracuse to Lane Stadium for a Big East showdown. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer sensed the excitement from the players. They paid attention to Corso. 

"They always knew he picked, and if it wasn't us it was a challenge to go out there and do it," Beamer told SN. "I was always hoping he would pick the other team (because) that got us fired up."

Fallica knew better. Corso loved the Blacksburg, Va. visit. Fallica labeled "GameDay" the unofficial Virginia Tech pregame show for that season. Corso had an acute fascination with the headgear. 

"That mascot head was one of his favorite mascot heads to put on," Fallica said. "There was this old, vintage Virginia Tech turkey head that was like five-feet high that he put on later that season."

Beamer still bursts into laughter at the thought of Corso pulling out the Hokies headgear out of a trash bag – with a matching suitcoat lining – for the Syracuse pick reveal. 

"Lee drew a crowd, wherever he was," Beamer said. "We were just kind of coming along, and with Michael Vick and us doing things we had never done before, people (now) knew about Virginia Tech that never knew about it." 

The Hokies scored three defensive TDs in a 62-0 blowout against Syracuse. That blowout introduced the rest of the country to Vick and "Beamer Ball." 

"Everything that was good that could happen, happened," Beamer said. "It was one of those things like it was meant to be. It kind of changed the way people thought about Virginia Tech." 

Corso would take a 5-0 record to Austin, Texas, on Oct. 23, 1999.

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'Not so fast, my friend': Lee Corso's greatest upset pick

Texas coach Mack Brown knew Corso's tells, but it was hard to spot one the night before the matchup against No. 3 Nebraska. Corso never told the coaches who he would pick. 

"He'd usually wink at you and say, 'I'm good this week,'" Brown told SN. 

Why would he wink before a matchup against the Huskers? Nebraska was a nine-point favorite against Texas. "GameDay" was in town, and Brown knew what that meant when it came to Corso. He frequently faxed the sports information department looking for stats nobody else had. He had a detailed pre-game process. 

"The SIDs loved him enough, and he talked to them on Sunday and Monday before the next game," Brown said. "They gave him special stuff, and it was really cool. It made it that much more impressive for him to have the right stats and pick the right games." 

Yet, before Corso belted out the trademark phrase – "Not so fast, my friend" – Fallica said the "GameDay" crew was surprised. 

"Behind the scenes, we kind of made a point to like, 'Wow, putting the record on the line here?'" Fallica said. 

"I think he maybe sensed the direction that the Nebraska program was going," Fallica said. "He just felt that the situation was there for Texas and Mack Brown to get their statement, landmark win that would really launch them into an unbelievable run." 

Nebraska had a 13-3 lead at halftime, and Brown felt the pressure. To be clear, it came from seeing Corso. 

"When I was coaching and he picked us he would be on our sideline, and he would be mad if we were losing," Brown said. "It was personal for him. He really felt like, 'You're letting me down, man.'"

The Longhorns rallied in the second half.  Major Applewhite hit Mike Jones with the go-ahead TD with 5:51 remaining. Texas held on for a 24-20 victory with the help of three Nebraska fumbles. It marked the largest upset by point spread Corso has picked in his "GameDay" tenure. 

"It was one that nobody said we had a chance to win," Brown said. 

That foreshadowed another time Corso picked the Longhorns as underdogs. We'll get to that, too. Back to Spurrier and the Gators first.

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Lee Corso's alma mater finishes off his dream season

Corso was sitting at 9-0 heading into the regular-season finale. Fallica painted the scene at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – also known as "The Swamp" –  before No. 1 Florida State met No. 3 Florida on Nov. 30, 1999. 

"That was one of the wilder scenes I could remember at a 'GameDay' crowd," Fallica said. "That was Laveranues Coles, Peter Warrick and Dillard's. I can remember the Peter Warrick signs out there at Gainesville. There is some pretty good imagery there."

"GameDay" signs remain a tradition – for better and worse – today. For a refresher, Warrick and Coles were suspended for an incident at a Dillard's that was considered shoplifting when they received discounts on clothing. This also was the fourth consecutive matchup where both teams were ranked in the top five. Tensions in Gainesville were high.

Corso incited the crowd further by putting on Florida State headgear, which made long-time Florida State play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff smile. 

"I know he was proud to put that head-dress that Seminoles' headdress on to say the Seminoles were going to win that Gator game and the national championship game," Deckerhoff told SN.

Deckerhoff still remembers how former Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski would taunt the Gators' student section during those years. Florida State broke open a tie game with back-to-back TD drives, the latter a 27-yard TD pass from Chris Weinke to Snoop Minnis that sent No. 1 Florida State to the BCS championship game, where it would play No. 2 Virginia Tech in a battle of 11-0 teams. 

Deckerhoff's friendship extends back to Corso's time as an assistant coach at his alma mater. Corso played at Florida State from 1953-57 and was a grad assistant the following season. Deckerhoff was the Florida State play-by-play announcer for 35 seasons. 

Both knew the significance of an unbeaten season for Bobby Bowden in 1999. 

"Bobby had a frame in his office with no picture in it, and he told every recruit and every player when he had an unbeaten team their photo would go in that frame," Deckerhoff said. 

Deckerhoff had laryngitis the night before the BCS championship game, so he did not get to see Corso even if he had a good idea who the final pick would be. Beamer recalled the professionalism and objectivity from Corso in the pre-production interviews.  

"I always thought that Lee – he was fun to be around, entertaining and I never thought much about, 'Well, he went to Florida State,'" Beamer said. "He always treated you with respect and gave your program respect."

On Jan, 4, 2000, Corso made the final pick of the season: Florida State.  

"He was excited that night," Fallica recalled. "That was just a wild scene. Remember 'Y2K' and the fears of what was going to happen on New Year's Eve in New Orleans? Everything was fine. That game itself was great."

Warrick and Vick were the stars in a game full of stunning highlight-reel plays. Warrick had a 64-yard TD catch and 59-yard punt return in the first half. Vick rallied the Hokies, who took a 29-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Fallica remembers when Florida State brought out the backup quarterback for a game-changing play. 

"Marcus Outzen on a fourth-down call," Fallica said. "If they don't get it, Florida State wasn't stopping Michael Vick and that offense. Virginia Tech was one fourth-down stop from winning the title that year."

Instead, a pitch to Travis Minor led to a conversion and 17 unanswered points. Warrick scored the dagger on a 43-yard TD pass that clinched the Seminoles' first perfect season and Corso's only perfect season with the headgear.

The impact of Lee Corso's perfect 1999 season

Think about all the ways that season influenced college football. "GameDay" marketed a top-five showdown with the same fervor as a classic rivalry while shining light on the off-the-beaten-path programs such as, at the time, Virginia Tech. Corso's headgear was the signature at the end. 

"It became a must-see moment on Saturday morning television, I promise you that," Deckerhoff said. "Lee's a funny guy. It comes through, and he's a legitimate guy. He says, 'This is who is going to win,' whether you believe him or not."

Fallica remembers how that segment generated questions every week. Which headgear would Corso put on? What was the skit this time? It defined a generation of college football and spawned new shows like Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff." 

"That '99 run with the headgear kind of a created a buzz among campuses and schools and teams and fan-bases that schools wanted to set unofficial attendance records to come out and see GameDay," Fallica said. "There were schools campaigning against each other. That run and that segment created more of a buzz. Here's this guy putting on headgear at the end of every show, and he picked every game correctly." 

Make no mistake, coaches tracked Corso's record too, using memories instead of spreadsheets. Spurrier remembers two gems from the 2010 season when he coached at South Carolina. 

"He did pick us a lot," Spurrier said. "I think his worst one when he picked us to beat Auburn in the SEC championship game. I know Herbstreit picked us when we were at South Carolina to beat Alabama when they were No. 1 in the country.”

The Gamecocks beat Alabama 35-21 on Oct. 9, 2010, and lost 56-17 to Auburn in that SEC championship game on Dec. 4, 2010. 

Brown, meanwhile, remembers when Corso called another upset on Jan. 4, 2006, when No. 2 Texas was a seven-point underdog against No. 1 USC at the BCS championship game at the Rose Bowl. 

"He was the only one," Brown said. "Kirk Herbstreit said, 'No, it's gonna be a close game at halftime,' which it was, and he said, 'Pete Carroll is the best at making adjustments in the country and they're going to come out and blow it out in the second half.' 

Then Brown breaks into his best Corso impersonation. 

"They're gonna shock the universe! Texas is going to win the game." 

Texas beat USC 41-38 in arguably the greatest college game of all time. 

"When he got on set, they wanted to hear what he said," Brown said. "They also wanted to see – not only who he picked – but how he did it. He would throw one away and pick another one. He was an actor. He is an iconic part of GameDay that I don't think can ever be replaced." 

Corso's attempt to extend the streak the following year was halted by Mother Nature. The season-opening BCA Classic between Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech on Aug. 27, 2000, was canceled because of thunderstorms. That is not all. 

"That was the night we discovered after the game was cancelled, Lee's (rental) car was struck by lightning and it wouldn't start in the parking lot," Fallica said. "Ever since that moment, Lee would always unofficially joke that he was never going to pick against Virginia Tech again because, 'God was a Hokie.' It was almost like the punishment for picking against Virginia Tech and having Florida State beat them." 

All that is a true story, and that elicits the longest of laughs from Beamer all these years later. How could that happen to Corso? 

"He picked Georgia Tech to win," Beamer said. "What in the heck do you expect?"