Ranking Auburn Football's Legendary Lee Corso 'Headgear' Games

ESPN announced in April that the legendary Lee Corso will retire from the network’s flagship morning kickoff show, College GameDay. His final show will be August 30, 2025, just a couple of weeks after his 90th birthday.

“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and College GameDay for nearly 40 years,” Corso said. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories, and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”

Corso has been a staple of college football Saturday mornings since GameDay’s inception in 1987. Everyone’s favorite kickoff show looked a lot different back then. It was broadcast from a quiet studio in Connecticut versus smack dab in the middle of a college campus, surrounded by thousands of college football’s most rabid individuals as it is today.

And there were no headgear picks, not yet. Corso started donning the mascot heads in 1996 when he selected Ohio State over Penn State and adorned the head of Brutus the Buckeye. Thus, a national tradition was born.

Since ‘96, Corso has made a headgear selection in a game involving the Auburn Tigers 21 times, according to gamedaycole.com. He has only picked Auburn to win six times, and the Tigers are 4-2 in those six games. Auburn is 9-12 when they are one of the teams featured during the headgear selection segment on GameDay.

Due to his tendency to pick against the Tigers, there may be some mixed feelings about Corso among the Auburn family. But regardless of how you feel about the man’s football opinions, Corso's impact on college football is undeniable.

Corso claimed in 2020 that Auburn was the only team that wouldn't let him wear an "Aubie" head. Maybe he's held a grudge.

"GO BEAUTIFUL DAWGS!"

Coach Corso is taking No. 4 Georgia over No. 7 Auburn in Athens 🏈

(📍 @CoorsLight) pic.twitter.com/vg0UNsoH7E
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 3, 2020

Whether you were scrambling eggs and pouring coffee, or cranking up the grill and cracking your first cold one, you have more than likely kicked off your football Saturday morning with the Sunshine Scooter.

Corso has shared in some of Auburn’s greatest moments, and even more not so not-so-great moments. And before he gives his last “Not so fast, my friend,” or dons his final headgear, we’re sending off Coach by ranking the nine times Auburn won as a featured team in the headgear game.

It’s been one helluva ride, Scooter. Thanks for the memories.

9. 2004 Georgia

2004 as a whole was a special season full of impactful games for the Tigers. By the time Auburn hosted the 8th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers had already clawed their way to a close victory over LSU, dominated the then 8th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (more on that game in a moment), and had established themselves as one of the better teams in the country.

Corso picked Auburn on that November morning, and the Tigers didn’t let him down. Auburn dominated the highly anticipated matchup. The Tigers’ dynamic running back duo, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams and Ronnie Brown, combined for 260 yards, and the nation’s second-ranked scoring defense stifled Georgia, holding the Bulldogs to 279 total yards, and securing a 24-6 victory for the Tigers.

The game itself wasn’t overly exciting as Auburn controlled the majority of the contest. But the field was littered with football and Southeastern Conference royalty, and spotting the names on the backs of the jerseys alone was worth the rewatch.

Aside from the first round backfield of Williams, Brown, and quarterback Jason Campbell, the Auburn offense also included future Pro Bowl left tackle Marcus McNeil, and the future Thorpe Award winner, cornerback Carlos Rodgers, led one of the nation’s best defenses.

And for Georgia, there was quarterback David Greene, who would finish his college career as the winningest QB in college football history, and future first-round pick and top-10 all-time college football sack leader, defensive end David Pollack.

8. 2004 Tennessee

GameDay met the Tigers in Knoxville, Tenn., as 9th-ranked Auburn traveled to face the 8th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Corso picked Auburn in the first of three games that he would see the Tigers in 2004.

Just two weeks prior, Auburn had clashed with top-5 LSU and come out on top in a nailbiter. The Tigers were trending up, but Auburn fans had been burned before. With only a game against The Citadel between LSU and Tennessee, the Auburn Family was wary. But the Tigers dominated, and declared to Auburn fans and the nation that the 2004 Tigers were for real.

A potential game-deciding play occurred on Auburn’s opening offensive possession. Tennessee defensive back Brandon Johnson jumped a Jason Campbell pass and appeared to have an easy interception until sophomore receiver Courtney Taylor ripped the ball from Johnson’s hands and bulldozed his way to a 15-yard gain.

The play sparked the offense, and the Tigers marched down the field and scored on a nine-yard touchdown run. Ronnie Brown pulverizing Vols’ safety Jason Allen on that run is a lasting image from that season. The Tigers led 31-3 at halftime.

The Auburn defense was the story of the day. The Tigers turned the Vols over six times, including four interceptions by senior safety Junior Rosegreen, on the way to a 34-10 victory.

7. 2006 Florida

The No. 2 Gators visited Jordan-Hare Stadium to face off against the No. 11 Tigers on a warm October evening. Corso picked against the Tigers to a chorus of displeased Auburn fans. The Gators were surging in head coach Urban Meyer’s second season, and freshmen receiver Percy Harvin and quarterback Tim Tebow were already becoming household names.

It was a weird scoring day for Auburn. The Tigers moved the ball well between the 20-yard lines, but failed to score a single offensive touchdown. After three first-half John Vaughn field goals and a holding penalty in the endzone resulted in a Florida safety, the Tigers went into halftime down 17-11.

The lasting image from this game came with about 11 minutes to go in the third quarter. Auburn forced Florida to punt for the first time that evening. Gators’ punter Eric Wilbur dropped the snap, Auburn cornerback Jerraud Powers and safety (at the time) Tristan Davis met a host of other Tigers at the punter and blocked the punt.

Long-time Auburn reserve running back, and fan favorite, Tre Smith scooped the ball and front-flipped into the endzone. After a Vauhgn extra point, it was 18-17, Auburn.

The rest of the night belonged to the Tiger defense, as the Gators were held scoreless in the second half. Tiger cornerback Patrick Lee would scoop and score a fumble at the end of regulation to seal the game 27-17.

6. 2004 Tennessee, SEC Championship

Corso completed the trifecta and picked Auburn for the third time in 2004. Corso was sweet on the Tigers that season, and he had plenty of reason to be. Auburn was undefeated heading into the conference championship and had already defeated three top-10 teams, including their opponent in the SEC Championship Game.

The championship started similarly to how the previous matchup had ended, as Auburn jumped out to a 14-0 lead. But a series of uncharacteristic mistakes by the Tigers allowed the Vols ample opportunity to hang around.

And perhaps even more uncharacteristic of the 2004 Tigers, Tennessee was able to gash Auburn on the ground in the second half. Ultimately, Jason Campbell (27-of-35, 374 yards, 3 touchdowns) and the Auburn offense (559 total yards) proved too much for the Vols, and the Tigers won 38-28.

Auburn secured the first 12-0 season in school history and would go on to defeat Virginia Tech in the Nokia Sugar Bowl and finish 13-0.

2004 will always be an iconic season in Auburn history. That season, the Tigers proved to a whole new generation of fans that Auburn deserved to be mentioned among the nation’s elite. Thus, forever altering the expectations of the Auburn brand.

5. 2010 Clemson

Corso and GameDay visited The Plains as the No. 16 Auburn Tigers hosted the Tigers from Clemson. Corso picked the good Tigers.

Much like with LSU or the first Tennessee game in 2004, Auburn fans weren’t positive about what they had in their 2010 football team when Clemson came to town. But unlike those 2004 games, the victory over Clemson didn’t do much to answer those questions.

Clemson jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead. Auburn responded with 21 unanswered third-quarter points, including a 78-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Newton to receiver Terrell Zachery. Clemson scored to open the fourth quarter, and regulation ended 24-24. Overtime was one of many instances the ball bounced Auburn’s way that season. After Auburn kicked a field goal on the first possession of OT, things were looking dim for the good Tigers.

On third down, Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker rolled out and hit a wide-open receiver in the hands, and the poor kid dropped the pass in the end zone. Clemson made the ensuing field goal to send the game into a second overtime period, but wait, there was a flag. Illegal snap on Clemson. Clemson was forced to kick again, and the kicker hooked it left. Auburn won 27-24.

4. 2017 Alabama

Corso picked Bama in the 2017 Iron Bowl, as GameDay was on campus to watch the sixth-ranked Tigers host the top-ranked Crimson Tide. This game had plenty of memorable moments. It was mostly a defensive struggle, and after Auburn opened the scoring on a Kerryon Johnson jump pass, the Tigers held a 10-7 lead heading into the half.

Auburn’s offense sparked for 16 second-half points. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham passed for 237 yards and rushed for 51 yards and a score. Johnson rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown. And wideout Ryan Davis set Auburn’s single-season reception record after making 11 receptions on the day. The Tigers' offense put up 410 yards and 26 points on the vaunted Tide defense that had allowed just 244 yards and 10 points per game.

The 26-14 victory marked the second time in three weeks that Auburn had beaten the nation’s top-ranked team, after demolishing Georgia two weeks prior, and secured the Tigers’ spot in the SEC Championship game.

3. 2019 Oregon

Corso picked Oregon when GameDay set up camp outside of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the Advocare Classic. This game is a bittersweet memory for Auburn fans. When the No. 16 Tiges met the No. 11 Ducks in Jerry’s World, they were at polar opposite ends of the QB spectrum.

Oregon was led by all-world senior Justin Herbert. The Ducks were in win-now mode, and Herbert had his eyes on a national title and the NFL. The Tigers were debuting a true-freshman legacy in Bo Nix. Auburn had a championship-caliber defense led by future first-round pick Derrick Brown, but the ultimate success of the season would ride on the young quarterback’s shoulders.

The game started in Herbert’s favor as Oregon gashed the lauded Auburn defense for 14 first-quarter points. And Nix made a couple of mistakes that hindered the Tigers’ scoring opportunities. Auburn found some offensive rhythm in the second half, and the defense stood tall, only allowing one second-half touchdown.

The score was 21-20 when the Tigers got the ball back with just over two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Nix engineered a couple of first downs, including a three-yard run on 4th-and-3, and after he found receiver Seth Williams to convert on a big 3rd-and-10, the Tigers were in field goal range.

But head coach Gus Malzahn had no intention of playing it safe. With 16 seconds left, Nix dropped back and lofted a back-shoulder throw to the front corner of the endzone. Williams came down with it and toppled into the endzone with nine seconds left. And the crowd went wild.

Auburn won the game 27-20, and the legend of Bo Nix was born. The Tigers had found their franchise quarterback who would lead the team into future dramatic victories. Or so we thought.

Nix would lead Auburn to a 9-4 record and a victory in the Iron Bowl in 2019, but that was his last full season as the Tigers’ QB. Auburn went 6-4 as a sophomore in 2020 during the COVID-19 shortened season, and Nix was injured towards the end of the 2021 season.

Nix transferred to Oregon after the 2021 season. He would spend two years as the Ducks’ starter, passing for over 8,000 yards and 74 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. The Denver Broncos selected Nix 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Nix’s legacy at Auburn is one full of what-ifs and could-have-beens, and the Tigers are still in search of their franchise guy at QB.

2. 2011 Oregon, BCS National Championship

And now the Oregon game that doesn’t carry any negative memories for the Auburn Family. Corso picked Oregon ahead of the title game in Glendale, Arizona. Not so fast, my friend.

The buzz surrounding the game was focused on the offensive side of the ball, and understandably so. Oregon head coach Chip Kelly and Malzahn were at the forefront of the hurry-up, no-huddle offense movement that would soon take the league by storm, and they had orchestrated their respective versions of the concept to perfection.

Both offenses finished in the top 10 that season. Oregon boasted the nation’s leading rusher in running back LaMichael James, who rushed for 1,731 yards in 2010. And Auburn was led by Heisman winner and all-around superstar Cam Newton. Newton passed for 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns. But even with all the offensive accomplishments, it was the defenses that stood out on the biggest stage.

Oregon quarterback Darren Thomas threw two early interceptions, and the Ducks' defense kept Newton wrangled for much of the first quarter. Both offenses found some purchase in the second quarter, and Auburn scored the first touchdown of the game when Newton found former QB and fan-favorite Kodi Burns over the middle.

The Tigers would go into halftime with a 16-11 lead. A Wes Byrum field goal in the third quarter would give the Tigers a 19-11 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Tigers failed to put the Ducks away, however, and with just under five minutes to go, Ducks’ linebacker Casey Matthews tracked Newton like a jungle cat and punched out the ball from behind. Oregon would score eight plays later and convert another two-point conversion. 19-19.

And here comes that classic Auburn magic. The once-in-a-lifetime type of play that seems to happen for the Tigers multiple times in any successful season. (Spoiler alert: the next game hinges pretty heavily on that Auburn magic.)

With just under two minutes left in the game, from Auburn’s 40-yard line, freshman running back Michael Dyer took the handoff from Newton and appeared to be taken down after a five-yard gain. But the whistle never blew, Dyer kept his feet, and bolted 37 yards to the Ducks’ 23-yard line.

Ask any nonsensical Oregon fan, and they’ll still tell you that Dyer was down, and the play was the result of a blown call. But the play was reviewed, and the replay played over and over. It is clear as day that he was never down.

Dyer tacked on another 16-yard sprint to put the Tigers on the Oregon one-yard line. Auburn would run the clock down, and Byrum chipped in the game-winning field goal to give the Tigers their first national championship since 1956.

2013 Alabama

As all college football fans are aware, it is required by law that if a media member can discuss the Kick Six, then that media member must discuss the Kick Six. No one is quite sure what the penalty for noncompliance with that law is, but we’re not going to find out today.

"AUBURN'S GONNA WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME!"

Seven years ago, the legend of the "Kick Six" was born. pic.twitter.com/7w96kF6KDz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 30, 2020

Corso picked Bama ahead of this highly anticipated Iron Bowl. The game is remembered as often as it is for good reason. Sure, the ending and titular play of the game was spectacular, but that was a single play from a game that was truly one of college football’s all-time greats.

The pomp and circumstance leading into the game was intense. The energy surrounding the game was palpable. No. 1 Alabama, the dreaded evil empire led by the dark lord of the Sith himself, Nick Saban, questing for a third straight national championship. No. 4 Auburn, the plucky upstart rebellion, trying to complete the most improbable turnaround after a disastrous 2012. Clashing in Jordan-Hare Stadium, the SEC Western Division crown on the line.

The setup couldn’t have been written any better. And the game delivered.

The name of the game early was defense. Both offenses were kept off the scoreboard for much of the first quarter until Auburn took a 7-0 lead on a 45-yard run by quarterback Nick Marshall. Alabama would score 21 unanswered points after the Tigers forgot the name of the game in the second quarter. Auburn would score once on either side of the half to tie the game at 21.

With just under 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Auburn punter Stephen Clark downed Bama at their one-yard line. The Tide responded with a play that briefly sucked the life out of the Auburn crowd, as quarterback AJ McCarron hit receiver Amari Cooper streaking down the sideline for a 99-yard touchdown.

In the final 10 minutes, the teams exchanged failed fourth-down attempts, and Auburn blocked a Cade Foster field goal attempt, giving Alabama its third missed field goal of the evening. And with about 30 seconds left in the game, Marshall found a wide-open Sammie Coates for a 39-yard score to knot up the game, 28-28.

Then, something borderline supernatural occurred. A series of events true to that special kind of voodoo that only Jordan-Hare Stadium can provide.

Bama got the ball at their 29-yard line with just 15 seconds left on the clock. A pair of TJ Yeldon runs put the Tide at Auburn’s 38-yard line with one second left. A second that Saban fought to have added back to the clock. A second that would shock the college football world.

Alabama kicker Adam Griffeth lined up for a 57-yard field goal attempt. And the rest is well documented. Griffeth’s kick was short, and Auburn’s Chris Davis returned the kick 109 yards for a touchdown to win the game.

The stadium erupted. The crowd noise rattled the earth and shook buildings several miles away. The late great Rod Bramblett made one of the most memorable calls in sports radio history.

“They’re not gonna keep ‘em off the field tonight!” He crowed as Davis was tackled by teammates in the back of the endzone. And they did not keep them off the field that night.

If GameDay was in town, it was a big game for the Auburn Tigers, and in so many ways, those games helped provide lasting memories and legendary moments for Auburn football. Lee Corso was a big part of that, even if his role was to play the villain during Auburn’s heroics.