James Parks
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Articles by James Parks
College football transfer portal: The quarterback decisions to watch before 2027
As the 2026 college football season reaches its midpoint, the transfer portal looms larger than ever. Programs are already calculating roster needs for 2027, and several quarterbacks sit at the center of those calculations. Some face questions about scheme fit and draft stock. Others must weigh playing time, competition, and long-term opportunity. A handful of names have emerged as the most closely watched potential movers when the portal opens after the season.
College football rankings: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in week 8
It was an historic Saturday massacre across the Week 7 college football slate , with a half-dozen matchups involving ranked teams on both sides of the field, and a metric ton of heavyweight favorites taking unexpected losses across the country. The one thing we do know? There will be a new No. 1 team in the college football rankings . Here are the teams heading up, and moving down, in the new poll for Week 8. Folks, it's a mess.
Upsets today in college football: Top 25 biggest losers in week 7
We had a suspicion that the Week 7 college football slate would be pretty crazy coming in, and looking at the tattered remnants of the AP top 25 poll before and after Saturday, it was clear that those forecasts were correct. This weekend was nothing short of a massacre for teams placed in the top ten of the rankings , with nearly half of those contenders losing on the field.
College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Teams Moving Up, Down in Week 8
AP top 25 voters are once again faced with several consequential decisions filling out their ballots for the Week 8 college football rankings after an action-packed weekend.
College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Teams Moving Up, Down in Week 8
It was an historic Saturday massacre across the Week 7 college football slate, with a half-dozen matchups involving ranked teams on both sides of the field, and a metric ton of heavyweight favorites taking unexpected losses across the country. The one thing we do know? There will be a new No. 1 team in the college football rankings. Here are the teams heading up, and moving down, in the new poll for Week 8. Folks, it's a mess.
Upsets Today in College Football: Top 25 Biggest Losers in Week 7
We had a suspicion that the Week 7 college football slate would be pretty crazy coming in, and looking at the tattered remnants of the AP top 25 poll before and after Saturday, it was clear that those forecasts were correct. This weekend was nothing short of a massacre for teams placed in the top ten of the rankings, with nearly half of those contenders losing on the field.
Will There Be a New No. 1 Team in the College Football Rankings This Week?
Once again, AP top 25 voters are faced with a major decision at the No. 1 position in the college football rankings after another massive upset. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect AP No. 1 ranked college football teams had won 93 straight games at home against unranked opponents. That streak ended on Saturday. In one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 season, Auburn walked into Sanford Stadium and knocked off previously undefeated No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, on Saturday.
Will There Be a New No. 1 Team in the College Football Rankings This Week?
AP No. 1 ranked college football teams had won 93 straight games at home against unranked opponents. That streak ended on Saturday. In one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 season, Auburn walked into Sanford Stadium and knocked off previously undefeated No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, on Saturday. The Tigers sealed the victory with a field goal as time expired, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the year in dramatic fashion.
Why These Top 25 College Football Teams Are in Real Danger Today
College football's Week 7 slate delivers a rare concentration of ranked-on-ranked matchups with genuine stakes for the College Football Playoff picture midway through the season. Several teams sitting inside the AP Top 25 enter Saturday facing opponents capable of ending undefeated runs, derailing conference title hopes, or exposing lingering vulnerabilities. Here is why the favorites and higher-ranked sides in six of the weekend's most scrutinized games carry real risk.
College Football Today: Which Week 7 Games Are Worth Watching?
The seventh week of the 2026 college football season gets underway today with six matchups featuring AP ranked teams on both sides of the field, paving the way for yet more change in the national rankings when all is said and done. Here are the most important games on the Week 7 schedule we'll be keeping a close eye on, and that you should be watching, too.
Where is College GameDay? How to Watch ESPN Kick Off College Football in Week 7
Where is College GameDay this week?ESPN's flagship college football program hits the road in Big 12 country for the first time this season ahead of a critical non-conference matchup that finds two ranked and undefeated teams on the same field in a formidable clash that could influence the playoff bracket down the line. College GameDay airs liveon Saturday, Oct.
College Football Powerhouse Plummets in Updated 2027 Recruiting Rankings
The former No. 1 team in college football also saw its position in the recruiting rankings take a hit after one very prominent de-commitment. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect In this story: Florida GatorsTexas LonghornsNotre Dame Fighting IrishTexas A&M AggiesOhio State BuckeyesOklahoma Sooners One of the most consequential flips by a single prospect in the 2027 college football recruiting class caused some expected changes near the top of the national rankings.
SEC Powerhouse Remains Most-Watched Team in College Football Despite Loss
Win or lose, you can bet this college football blue blood will draw a massive audience. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect In this story: Texas LonghornsGeorgia BulldogsAlabama Crimson TideOhio State BuckeyesLSU TigersNotre Dame Fighting IrishOklahoma Sooners Ranked as the No. 1 team for much of the college football season, one SEC powerhouse also tops the polls for the program with the most interest right now.
ESPN Faces Backlash Over Kickoff Times for Three High-Profile SEC Football Games
The debut of the SEC football schedule for this weekend left many fans angry and confused. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect In this story: Alabama Crimson TideGeorgia BulldogsAuburn TigersTennessee VolunteersOle Miss RebelsMissouri Tigers The revelation of the Week 7 college football schedule once again had scores of fans scratching their heads wondering what the big networks are thinking.
College football playoff expansion: 5 major changes under the 24-team format
What many fans feared, and what college football's money makers long advocated for, is finally on the horizon. Starting likely next season, the College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams , doubling the field in the race to win the national championship. There go the conference championship games. Here come a ton of new contenders. Based on what we know right now, here are five major changes coming to college football when its postseason doubles. 1.
6 most fraudulent college football teams so far this season
College football's early season has a way of separating genuine contenders from those still searching for identity amid high expectations and shifting conference landscapes. In a 2026 campaign already defined by surprises and stumbles, six college football programs stand out as the season's clearest frauds: teams that entered with pedigree, talent, or momentum yet have repeatedly failed to deliver when it mattered.
SEC Announces Football Kickoff Times, TV Schedule for Week 8
The next step in forming the upcoming college football schedule has been confirmed, and the SEC has announced its kickoff times and TV slate for the upcoming Week 8 games. Fans tracking the SEC football TV schedule can now mark their calendars for high-stakes matchups that will shape the College Football Playoff picture and conference standings.
College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings Entering Week 7
Ever since the advent of the playoff system, the perceived quality of a college football team's schedule has always featured as an important aspect of the various metrics the selection committee looks into when saying who makes, and doesn't make, the field. Which college football teams have the most difficult schedules remaining in the 2026 season? For that, let's turn to the College Football Power Index predictive model to get a closer look at who faces what going forward.
SEC announces football kickoff times, TV schedule for week 8
The next step in forming the upcoming college football schedule has been confirmed, and the SEC has announced its kickoff times and TV slate for the upcoming Week 8 games. Fans tracking the SEC football TV schedule can now mark their calendars for high-stakes matchups that will shape the College Football Playoff picture and conference standings.
SEC forces Kentucky to pay LSU $500,000 after Saturday's upset win
Kentucky pulled off one of the defining upsets of a crazy college football weekend by taking down LSU, so naturally the Wildcat faithful were in the mood to celebrate. But now the SEC is asking Kentucky to fork over some serious money to the team they just beat, and it's thanks to a new rule the conference passed just last year.
College Football Rankings: Projecting the New AP Top 25 Poll After Week 6 Original
Some important results across college football this weekend once again force AP top 25 voters to reassess the rankings. Will they make a move at the No. 1 position again?
ESPN announces next College GameDay location for week 7
The show hits the road once again next weekend as ESPN and its flagship college football program pitch their tent out west this coming Saturday. ESPN and College GameDay have announced the destination of their Week 7 program, setting up in Big 12 country to see a pair of insurgent programs with national championship ambitions. College GameDay Visits Big 12 Country Notre Dame. BYU. College GameDay.
Historic college football powerhouse suffers 31st straight loss to ranked opponent
A very long drought against ranked teams in college football continued Saturday as a once-dominant program fell short yet again in a tightly contested home matchup. The result extends one of the more notable streaks in recent AP rankings history and underscores the challenge of breaking through against elite competition. Fourth-Quarter Collapse Nebraska seemed to have this in the bag.
Fraud Alert: Major College Football Program Set to Plunge in Rankings After Bad Loss
Two weeks ago, AP top 25 voters rewarded a rising SEC powerhouse with the biggest positive move of any team in the college football rankings. A week later, they were punished with the biggest drop. Now, another plunge in the poll is incoming after a disastrous Saturday that has one major program being branded as frauds.
Hurricane Isaias: College football games canceled, postponed by storm today
As often happens this time of year, once again the college football schedule will be affected by extreme weather, this time courtesy of Hurricane Isaias as it makes landfall. The storm is now expected to affect at least seven games that were forced to change their date or kickoff time and resulted in the cancellation of one matchup in the Gulf Coast.
Who pays for Pat McAfee's College GameDay kicking contest?
Pat McAfee's kicking contest has become one of the most unpredictable highlights of ESPN's pregame College GameDay show on Saturday mornings. Every week, a fan gets the opportunity to attempt a long field goal for a potentially life-changing sum of money. But who actually hands out the cash when the kick goes through the uprights? Pat McAfee Built the Contest With His Own Money For the contest's first three seasons, the answer was primarily McAfee himself.
College Football Today: Week 6 Scores, Top 25 Games to Watch Now
Expect more changes to the college football rankings when the sixth week of the 2026 regular season is all said and done, with several teams in the poll getting tested across the country and pollsters forced into some more consequential decisions. Games in the SEC and Big Ten will once again change the conversation around some of the most prominent College Football Playoff contenders and put some of the sport's most imperiled head coaches a little closer towards getting the ax.
College Football Today: The Best Week 6 Games You Must Watch
As we near the midway point of the 2026 college football regular season, some teams have separated themselves as contenders, and others as pretenders, but there is still plenty to sort out in the major conferences and everything is still on the line. Here are the most important and consequential games we'll be watching across the country today, and what you should be watching, too.
Where is College GameDay? How to Watch ESPN Kick Off College Football Today
Where is College GameDay this week? ESPN's flagship college football program hits the road in SEC country once again ahead of a critical conference matchup that finds two ranked teams on the same field in a formidable clash that could decide the No. 1 place in the rankings this week. College GameDay airs live from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Oct.
Texas Dethroned From No. 1 in New College Football Rankings for Week 6
Just about everyone who casts a vote in the national college football rankings is still of the opinion that Texas is the No. 1 team in the country after five weeks. But one of the more controversial ranking systems is taking a different view coming into this weekend. The prediction computer model behind ESPN's College Football Power Index disagrees with the pollsters on the most important question, instead naming a Big Ten powerhouse as the No. 1 team in college football in mid-October.
College football expansion: Will the Big Ten Conference add more teams?
The most historic round of college football expansion and realignment took place in the Big Ten a couple seasons ago in a series of sweeping changes that completely redrew the borders around the Power Four conferences forever. Now, as Congress goes through the motions of trying to pass the Protect College Sports Act, which would allow the conference to add two additional members, the question has once again been raised if the Big Ten will pursue any more additions in the future.
Kirk Herbstreit vs. Pat McAfee: Who makes more money at ESPN?
College GameDay's two biggest personalities and most recognizable faces sit at the center of ESPN's college football coverage, but their paychecks tell very different stories. Recent media reporting reveals a clear gap between Kirk Herbstreit's traditional analyst deals and Pat McAfee's unique production-and-talent arrangement with the worldwide leader in sports.
Five things we expect to see in the Florida State vs. Louisville matchup tonight Original
College football kicks off Week 6 action a little early this week, as Florida State and Louisville look to rewrite the narratives around their respective programs on Friday. Both could use some wins. Florida State is 1-1 in ACC play and 3-2 overall, while Louisville stumbled to a 2-3 mark and already under .500 in conference games on a two-game losing skid, but losing by a combined 6 points in that time. Here are five things to watch as the game unfolds, and our final prediction for this ACC clash.
Five things we expect to see in the Florida State vs. Louisville matchup tonight
Alabama 5 hours ago Alabama Georgia game weather: Tracking Hurricane Isaias path, latest news USA TODAY Sports - Matthew Glenesk • 5h While Hurricane Isaias moves toward the northern Gulf Coast, with landfall expected Friday night or early Saturday, the Georgia-Alabama football game is expected to be affected. How much remains to be seen.
College Football Expansion: Will the Big Ten Conference Add More Teams?
The Big Ten was ground zero for the most recent college football realignment storm. Now the conference has confirmed its final expansion plans. The most historic round of college football expansion and realignment took place in the Big Ten a couple seasons ago in a series of sweeping changes that completely redrew the borders around the Power Four conferences forever.
The Final Breakdown: Who Actually Wins Iowa State vs. BYU? Original
The sixth week of college football kicks off from Big 12 country with one of the conference’s playoff contenders at home in a serious test in a possible trap game looking ahead to next weekend. BYU owns a No. 8 AP ranking and is playing strong defense, but also just learned that top rusher LJ Martin won’t be able to play for a month with a lower body injury. Iowa State is still building under first-year coach Jimmy Rogers after a major roster overhaul.
President Trump Makes Decision on Alabama-Georgia Game Amid Hurricane Fears
All eyes in college football will be on the marquee matchup between Georgia and Alabama, even amid fears the game could be affected by severe weather, but right now it appears President Trump plans to be on hand for the clash of SEC heavyweights. Trump is "still planning to attend" the game, even as the White House will be closely monitoring any change in the expected weather forecast, according to Front Office Sports.
Ole Miss or Texas? Eli Manning Makes His Choice Crystal Clear
It's a college football sin to root against your alma mater in just about any situation, but Eli Manning may have found the one exception to that rule. Manning is ride-or-die Ole Miss all the way, but the former Rebels quarterback admits even he won't bring himself to cheer for his school when his nephew, Arch, is on the other side of the field later this season. "You know what, this is the way I look at it. Ole Miss is going to play Texas in a few weeks.
Danny Kanell Names New No. 1 Team in College Football Rankings for Week 6
College football analyst Danny Kanell has a new team at the top of his personal rankings heading into Week 6, one that has a chance to make another statement this weekend. And based on what happens on Saturday when two SEC powerhouses square off on the same field, AP top 25 pollsters could follow Kanell's lead when casting their votes this time next week.
LSU vs. Kentucky score prediction by expert football model: Lane Kiffin faces a must-win Original
Lane Kiffin will either move above or below .500 in SEC play this weekend as his LSU team faces a critical road test against conference insurgent Kentucky before embarking on a brutal second half of the season to come. Kentucky has taken important steps in Will Stein’s first year as head coach. Sitting at 4-1 overall, with just one bad half against Alabama against them, the Wildcats are on a three-game win streak that included a road win at then-No. 9 Texas A&M.
Indiana vs. Nebraska score prediction by expert football model: Can the Huskers upset the champs? Original
Matt Rhule has never defeated an AP top 25 ranked opponent while head coach at Nebraska, but this weekend will give him a perfect opportunity against college football’s reigning national champion Indiana. And the Cornhuskers are off to a good start, coming in undefeated through five games, but still unranked and beating teams that are nothing like the caliber of opponent that they’ll see this weekend in the Hoosiers and their 21-game win streak. What do experts think of this week’s matchup?
Jeremiah Smith's Ridiculous 2026 Stat Will Drive Michigan Fans Crazy
Jeremiah Smith is almost as productive by himself as Michigan's entire passing attack right now. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect It’s never too early to get a preview of how Ohio State and Michigan match up ahead of their annual meeting in The Game, and from what we’ve seen so far through five games, it looks like one offense definitely has an advantage over the other. You can thank Jeremiah Smith for that.
College Football Fans Furious Over Tennessee's Announcement for Alabama Game
Two of the SEC's fiercest rivals will square off in two Saturdays from now, but they won't do it in primetime, arousing the ire of one college football fan base. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect What could end up being college football’s game of the week from the SEC a couple Saturdays from now just received word of when they’ll kick off, and needless to say, it left more than a few fans of the home team a little angry.
College Football Rankings: Projecting the New AP Top 25 Poll After Week 5
AP top 25 voters may not have quite as much work to do changing around their ballots as they did last weekend, but we will still see some important changes made to the new college football rankings coming out of the first action in October. Just three teams in the AP poll lost their games, but one of them was lodged inside the top ten and two others right nearby, allowing pollsters to get a little creative in re-sorting who belongs where heading into what will be another consequential week.
College football rankings: AP Top 25 teams moving up, down in week 6
Once again, AP top 25 pollsters will face several consequential decisions when voting on the new college football rankings coming out of the first action in the month of October. SEC and Big Ten contenders took to the field in some marquee ranked-on-ranked matchups that could reorder our assumptions about who is a contender and who is a pretender in some of the more important conference races.
Rising College Football Contender Set to Plummet in New Rankings After Ugly Loss
This weekend was supposed to be the coming out party for one rising SEC football hopeful, but instead it turned into more of the same. The surprising insurgency of one SEC program in the college football rankings came to a crashing halt in a game of the week that was supposed to be a coming out party for a team on the make, but instead has the loser staring down a serious drop in the polls.
College GameDay Picks College Football’s Winners and Losers in Week 5 Games
Who the boys on ESPN's College GameDay are picking to win college football's biggest Week 5 games today, as several SEC and Big Ten contenders face off. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Week 5 of the 2026 college football season gets underway today with several consequential matchups taking place across the SEC and Big Ten as three games feature ranked-on-ranked opponents, and now the guys (and gal) on ESPN’s College GameDay have locked in their projections for the biggest games.
College Football Today: Week 5 Scores, Top 25 Games to Watch Now
The first month of the 2026 college football season is in the books, and as October begins already there is plenty of drama around who is a contender and a pretender as the major conference hopefuls jockey for position against quality competition. Today finds six ranked-on-ranked matchups, including two in the SEC and another in the Big Ten, that College Football Playoff selectors will undoubtedly be paying very close attention to.
College Football Today: Week 5 Scores, Top 25 Games to Watch Now
The first month of the 2026 college football season is in the books, and as October begins already there is plenty of drama around who is a contender and a pretender as the major conference hopefuls jockey for position against quality competition. Today finds six ranked-on-ranked matchups, including two in the SEC and another in the Big Ten, that College Football Playoff selectors will undoubtedly be paying very close attention to.
College Football's Best Games on the Week 5 Schedule You Should Watch Today
We've already seen a ton of consequential change across the national rankings and in the very early conference conversations after the first month of the 2026 college football season, and more change could be in store as the Week 5 schedule gets underway across the country today.
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