Collegiate sports bring a sense of pride and school spirit unlike any other. Sports fans across America all have “their college” they root for in every season. One of these beloved seasons in college sports is finally upon us. The college football season takes off this Saturday, August 30. This Saturday is set to be a fantastic day of football and will officially kick off yet another year of exciting competition.
The excitement begins with the signature broadcast, College Gameday. This week, the show is taking place in Columbus, Ohio, at The Ohio State, where it will be highlighting the most anticipated matchup of the day. This game will feature the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Texas Longhorns. However, this game will not be the main focus of Saturday’s show. Longtime College Gameday host Lee Corso (90) will be participating in his final broadcast. Corso is a historic football personality as he was the head coach of the University of Louisville, Indiana University, and Northern Illinois University. Corso has been a part of the Gameday crew for almost 40 years and has created a legacy like no other. Lee is best known for his famous “headgear picks,” where he dresses up as the mascot of the team he is picking in a given matchup.
One of Corso’s fellow favorite hosts on College Gameday, Kirk Herbstreit, shared his thoughts on Lee and their experiences together. According to AL.com’s Mark Heim, Herbstreit said, “It’s been an incredible honor, and a privilege to be with you, to be your partner for all these years. There will never be another Lee Corso. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for this show, for this sport. You’re one of one. Love ya, bud.” Herbstreit and the rest of the Gameday crew will spend their first of the season and final show with Corso this Saturday, starting at 9:00 am Eastern Time. This broadcast is set to be a tribute that no football fan will soon forget.
Aside from all of the College Gameday festivities, the day is jam-packed with high level competition. The first notable matchup is the “Big Noon” game of Ohio State vs. Texas. The Buckeyes are coming off a National Championship year and are currently ranked third heading into this season. Ohio State, however, will face off against the current No. 1 seed in the Texas Longhorns. Texas will be led this year by the redshirt sophomore, Arch Manning. Arch is the nephew of the all-star, famous quarterback Peyton Manning, and has a lot of hype around his name. Arch will finally get to showcase his skills this season as the starting quarterback for the Longhorns.
Even though Texas is coming in as the No. 1-ranked team, some believe that this is not an accurate rating. Tom Fornelli from CBSsports.com stated, “But are they the best team? Why are we so confident that a team with a new QB and very little returning production on offense, as well as new starters on both sides of the lines of scrimmage, deserves to start the year at No. 1?” As we can see, not everyone believes Texas should be ranked as highly in the preseason as they are. Nevertheless, this competition will definitely be a tight one and a great way to start off the fun-filled Saturday of football.
Some other significant games of the day include Louisiana State University (LSU) heading into Death Valley to take on the Clemson Tigers and No. 10 Miami hosting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Overall, this season of College Football is looking to be a memorable one. With high-level skill and significant school spirit, athletes and fans alike are rearing to officially kick off the excitement. Make sure to tune in and follow all the action this season.
From the sidelines to the headlines, this is Lauren, signing out.
