From Brutus to Brutus. With elephants, ducks, steers, tigers (of all stripes), gators and bulldogs in between.
Lee Corso has donned a mascot’s headgear for the final time. This icon of college football, after 38 years of entertaining fans and reaching his 90th birthday, has left the stadium to laughter, cheers and tears.
And USA TODAY pays homage to Corso’s career for the ages with a commemorative page print and a hardcover collector’s book. They are must-haves for college football fanatics.
The full-page print highlights Corso’s final broadcast with ESPN’s “College GameDay.” From Ohio Stadium, where he made his first headgear prediction on Oct. 5, 1996, by donning Brutus Buckeye’s noggin, Corso chose Ohio State’s Brutus over Texas’ Bevo for his 431st and final prediction on Aug. 30, 2025. He told a packed house at the Horseshoe: ‘Give me my first love!’ Then he donned Brutus and waved as the crowd went wild. The Best Damn Band in the Land spelled out C-O-R-S-O.
Exclusive page print: Corso’s final headgear pick
“Not So Fast, My Friend: A Tribute to the Soul of College Football,” a 160-page hardcover coffee-table book, brings you inside the electrifying world of college football from the perspective of a coach-turned-broadcaster-turned-legend who has been at the heart of the game’s biggest moments.
Lee Corso also supplied some of the funnier ones with his profane prediction at Houston, his insults of Georgia’s Uga, his wrestling match with Bill Murray, his back-and-forth with Katy Perry and his outfits as Ben Franklin, James Madison and the Statue of Liberty.
From awe-inspiring campus atmospheres to unforgettable game-day traditions to the scene of the biggest games and rivalries in the sport, each stunning page of “Not So Fast, My Friend” celebrates what makes college football a cherished American passion and Corso the soul of the sport. This beautifully crafted book is your personal ticket to relive the glory, preserve the memories and celebrate the spirit that unites millions of fans every Saturday.
Exclusive book: Relive Corso’s legacy, beloved moments
Corso’s historic final broadcast and headgear pick are captured in a stunning USA TODAY page print. Available formats include page prints, framed art with multiple frame styles, and canvases and metal prints. Sizes range from 12 inches tall all the way up to 42 inches tall. Pricing starts at $17.95 and bundling discounts are offered. Order now at LeeUSAT.FrontPagePoster.com.
With No. 2 Ohio State’s 14-7 victory over No. 1 Texas, Corso finished with a 287-144 record for his headgear picks, a nifty .666 winning percentage.
Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of college football history with our commemorative page print and our hardcover book. It doesn’t matter whether your colors are scarlet & gray or crimson & white or maize & blue or orange & blue.
Plus, it’s never too early to pick up a perfect holiday gift for the football fan in your life.
These are the ultimate keepsakes for anyone who lives for the roar of the crowd, the band striking up the fight song and those magical Saturdays when anything seems possible. Don’t miss your chance to add this celebration of college football’s soul to your collection!
Exclusive page print: Corso’s final his headgear pick Exclusive book: Relive Corso’s legacy, beloved moments
Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@gannett.com. Follow him on X @GeneMyers. After nearly a quarter-century as sports editor at the Detroit Free Press, Myers unretired to coordinate book and poster projects across the USA TODAY Network. Check out more books and page prints from the USA TODAY Network — including books on Ohio State’s football national championship, Popes Francis and Leo XIV, the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
