Yes, today’s Penn State vs. Iowa game wasn’t College GameDay’s game of the week, but to most it is, so we’re going to take the projection like it is. The GameDay crew of Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit picked the Penn State, along with guest picker Mark Cuban, and Lee Corso was the only dissenting voice.
Corso’s pick wasn’t a headgear selection, but in this big, big game with major College Football Playoff implications, what is the significance of Corso going against the Lions?
Corso correctly predicted Penn State over Auburn earlier this season, a 28-20 victory at Beaver Stadium, but in his history of headgear games involving the Lions, he’s more often than not picked the opposing side. Corso has predicted a PSU headgear game 22 times, including the very first headgear pick in 1996 against Ohio State. He’s picked the Lions to win seven times.
In picking all 22 games, Corso has gone 16-5 overall. In picking the Lions, he’s 5-2. In picking against the Lions, he’s 12-3.
In 2009, Corso donned the Nittany Lions head when No. 5 Penn State took on Iowa in Happy Valley. Corso’s faith in the Lions was not rewarded as the Hawkeyes clinched the upset with a 21-10 win in a wet, soggy game at Beaver Stadium.
In the 2021 rendition between the two teams, a 21-10 score might not be too far off the final, but Penn State would certainly like the be the side pulling the upset this time.
So, while, yes, this game wasn’t a headgear pick, and yes, Corso’s pick obviously don’t actually matter, Corso is 11-3 when picking against Penn State in big games over the last 25 years.
