400+ headgear picks, 40+ years of dedication to college football broadcasting, and numerous iconic moments from dropping the “f- bomb” in 2011 on live TV to clashing with Katy Perry. Lee Corso is now coming for his last College GameDay pick against Ohio State vs. Texas on August 30. To celebrate his legacy, the whole GameDay crew will be in attendance at Columbus. That includes the regulars Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, and, of course, Kirk Herbstreit.

The College GameDay show in Week 1 is the only confirmed show for now that will start at 9 AM and will go till the game starts at 12 PM on August 30th. But just 7.5 hours away is another game, when the College GameDay show ends on August 30. Naturally, one would have expected Herbstreit to stay and watch the Texas and OSU game, considering he is a vocal OSU alum. But now, it’s going to be nearly impossible.

After the College GameDay show ends, the Clemson game, 500 miles away, is putting Herbstreit to the test. According to a recent report by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Herbstreit will also announce the LSU-Clemson matchup on Saturday, which is just 7.5 hours after the OSU game. “ABC/ESPN decided to assign No. 2 team, McDonough/Greg McElroy, to UM-Notre Dame next Sunday night on ABC and lead team Fowler/Herbstreit, to LSU-Clemson next Saturday night on ABC.” So, can Herbstreit make it to the game this early?

Last year, Herbstreit was a part of the Oregon vs. Ohio State ‘College GameDay’ show in Eugene. But even before the show was finished, we saw Herbstreit leaving midway and rushing to the Texas v. Oklahoma matchup 2,000 miles away. Herbstreit’s entire journey was vlogged by the ‘GameDay’ team as the account posted Herbstreit’s photo in a convertible headed to Dallas after taking a flight. Herbstreit even had some fun, also pointing out the ‘work’ on X.

“First time I’ve ever left mid-show to hope to make it to the game I’m calling. Everything’s good. We’re going really fast right now… It was cold as hell on that drive. Who ordered the convertible?” Not just that, Herbstreit also interviewed Deion Sanders before leaving on his jet, showing just why ESPN trusts Herbstreit with such extra responsibilities. Moreover, his dedication to his job was also seen when his beloved golden retriever, Ben, died, and Herbstreit called the Alabama-LSU game anyway. So, this year too, we are expected to see Kirk’s passion for his job in another flavor.

Kirk Herbstreit clears the air on Corso’s ‘satisfaction’ with his retirement decision

Lee Corso battled his tragic stroke in 2009 and, within months, made a comeback to College GameDay, showing extreme grit and resilience. Moreover, his cultural impact, right from inspiring announcers like Pat McAfee to take up the mantle to integrating Nick Saban into the fold, is truly remarkable. So, one must wonder if Corso’s heart is fully leaned towards leaving college football behind, even if he is 90 years old now.

According to Kirk Herbstreit, the legendary broadcaster is at “peace” with the decision and called it the right time to hand over the mantle to others. “It will be a very emotional day for the show, for me personally, [and] for [the] coach obviously. We love him so much, and it’s going to be very sad to see him go. But you know, he’s at peace with that decision,” said Kirk Herbstreit.

Herbstreit and Corso’s chemistry was a treat to watch at College GameDays when Corso regularly used to counter Kirk’s predictions with his iconic “not so fast, my friend” phrase and then give his own prediction. Over time, his headgear picks became famous not because he predicted it accurately, but because people started fearing that Corso would pick their headgear, potentially ‘jinxing’ the game. Despite that belief, however, Corso has a 66.5% success rate in his headgear picks. And his legacy is still unmatched in college football.