Her debut on the hallowed stage was actually cut short by a surprise appearance from another superstar. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Category: News Feeds
Democratic consultants are privately encouraging their battleground candidates to avoid talking about artificial intelligence regulations out of fear that powerful tech groups will unleash a tidal wave of spending against them ahead of November.
That guidance came from strategists in three separate top-tier House races, according to people involved in those races, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations. And it follows a surge in AI panic on Capitol Hill as industry leaders warn about existential threats posed by their rapidly developing technology.
Voters are increasingly worried about AI: About two-thirds of Americans say there’s a risk advanced AI could destroy humanity in a new POLITICO Poll. President Donald Trump has called that concern a “hoax,” leaving an opening for Democrats to seize on the issue. But they still are grappling with how hard to go after big tech.
Senior Democrats and candidates are worried that if they go too hard in criticizing AI, industry-affiliated super PACs could drop millions more dollars against them, according to interviews with more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers and strategists. They are especially worried about a slate of competitive races, including Reps. Don Davis in North Carolina, Marcy Kaptur in Ohio, Henry Cuellar in Texas and a handful of South Texas and Pennsylvania races, getting hit with even more spending on topics like AI.
The party is already struggling to keep up in the outside spending battle as Trump and his allies including Elon Musk, a major AI investor, flood the airwaves, though Musk’s spending isn’t primarily driven by AI concerns.
“We do need to be able to make sure that we’re regulating [AI] and addressing those real fears,” said one senior Democratic strategist working on Senate campaigns, who was granted anonymity to candidly discuss strategy. But “we don’t want AI money coming in.”
“Like any industry, there should be a conversation about guardrails,” said Cuellar, who is trying to hold onto a GOP-leaning South Texas seat. “But, every member needs to make their own decision based on their district and beliefs.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the former Progressive Caucus chair, said she was also worried that pro-AI groups will start targeting key Democrats.
“You know, these AI groups — they come out and they say that they’re concerned, that they want regulation. But then they spend huge amounts of money on defeating anybody who wants legislative regulation,” Jayapal said in an interview.
With AI regulation on congressional Democrats’ agenda if they take power next year, Jayapal said AI groups will be “spending for candidates that they can count on to just allow them to write the bill.”
Some top Democratic candidates and their campaigns are quietly trying to avoid crossing any red lines for tech super PACs — even as it’s unclear exactly what those lines would be, after Musk and two of the biggest AI CEOs called for more regulation on the technology last week.
Democrats are especially wary of Leading the Future, a pro-AI industry super PAC that spent over $25 million in primary races this year and is backed by investors and executives of OpenAI. The rival super PAC network, Public First Action, pushes for AI regulation and is funded by OpenAI’s chief competitor, Anthropic.
Asked by POLITICO, Leading the Future declined to name a specific policy on AI it opposes.
“The only people that have both threatened and carried out spending and intimidation tactics against Democratic members of Congress over their positions on AI are Public First and other groups funded by Anthropic and effective altruists,” said Leading the Future spokesperson Josh Vlasto. “Our agenda is and has always been Congress passing a strong and smart national regulation which has broad and building support in Congress and across the country.”
On Wednesday, Leading the Future launched its first round of ads in the general election through its Republican PAC. The group is spending $2 million to boost GOP Senate candidates Julia Letlow in Louisiana, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina and Sen. Mike Rounds in South Dakota — four Republicans in marginally competitive races that are unlikely to determine Senate control.
The two AI groups have been at odds. They spent in different primary races and went up against each other in the primary for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s seat, where state Assemblymember Alex Bores’ AI-centered campaign ignited a spending war. A person familiar with Leading the Future’s strategy, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, told POLITICO in June that the group was unlikely to target another candidate this year with the kind of multi-million dollar negative ad deluge it dumped on Bores, and a person close to the group said that hasn’t changed. Democrats believe the groups could battle against each other again in key races.
Brad Carson, the co-founder of Public First Action, said the network will “absolutely” get involved in the general election.
Public First Action uses two “litmus tests” to weigh whether or not to jump into races, Carson said. If someone seeking office shows “strong support for export controls and strong opposition to the preemption of state laws regarding AI, absent a federal framework,” then they are a prime candidate to receive the group’s support.
And if a candidate were to hold the opposite position — opposition to export controls and support for the preemption of state laws — his group would be inclined to jump in and spend against them.
“It’s really about finding the people who want to step out and be heroes for you,” Carson said.
On Wednesday, Anthropic’s policy chief Sarah Heck said at POLITICO’s Decoded summit that the United States “needs to stay in the lead on AI” over China, arguing “you can’t do safety from second place.” She agreed AI firms can’t be left on their own to ensure safety within their own companies, but declined to endorse bipartisan legislation for external regulation.
Some Democrats want to go hard on regulating AI in spite of the risk of antagonizing pro-industry groups.
Abdul El-Sayed, Democrats’ Senate nominee in Michigan, previously called for a regulatory crackdown on AI and is now advocating for a “full pause at the frontier of research.” He told POLITICO in an interview on Wednesday that he’d “rather be on the truth than dodge [AI industry] money.”
Still, El-Sayed hasn’t committed to running ads on the issue. Battleground Democratic Reps. Susie Lee (Nev.) and Greg Landsman (Ohio) also told POLITICO they weren’t planning ads on AI safeguards, even as they advocate for more regulations. It’s a sign that even as voters concerns’ rise about the technology, it’s not yet become a top issue for the November election.
Meanwhile, Republicans are hoping that the AI super PACs might come in and help boost them in other states — like Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has been aggressive in criticizing the industry, or Texas, where the GOP nominee, Attorney General Ken Paxton, has been slightly behind in most recent polls.“We could use the help in some races like that,” said one GOP senator, granted anonymity to candidly discuss the internal conversations.
Politics
Little Big Town has been touring together for 25 years, and they are approaching another run with the 2026 For The Art of it Tour beginning this month. In honor of the upcoming tour, they revealed the pre-show tradition that has spanned their entire career.
During an interview with TODAY, Kimberly explained that all four of them and their bandmates huddle up together before taking the stage. The ritual has remained a constant throughout their many years on the road as it gives the group a chance to pause before the energy of the show takes over.
“Right when we are all dressed and ready and warmed up and everything, we all get together in a room with our band guys and some of our crew,” she explained. “We might mention a few things about the show and then say a prayer, do a little cheers, do a little chant, and off we go. Every show.”
Karen added that while the prayer element has always been a central part of it, the overall tradition has slightly evolved over the years.
“We used to say our favorite Ron Burgundy quote and you had to try to come up with a different one every night. So we would do a prayer and then the irreverent Ron Burgundy like, ‘Nope Milk was a bad choice.’ Things like that,” she said in reference to Will Ferrell’s character in the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
The For The Art of it Tour will support their newest project, It’s A Dying Art, which arrived Aug. 28 via MCA and was co-produced by Gena Johnson and Little Big Town’s own Karen Fairchild.
When asked if there’s anything they usually do to celebrate a big release like this, Kimberly immediately called out Karen for having a tradition of buying something “really expensive.”
“And it’s gotten more expensive over the years,” she added jokingly.
Karen jumped in to confirm the statement and even admitted, “I ordered it last night.”
Kimberly assured her bandmate’s husband, Jimi Westbrook that she got 30% off her most recent purchase, which she revealed was a pair of boots from the brand, Miu Miu.
“They’re really, really cool,” Karen stated.
Before signing off from the interview, the band couldn’t leave without raising a glass to their new chapter.
Kimberly choose to cheers to “Being together for as long as we have, which is a dying art” while Karen made her toast to “making a record that we’re really proud of.”
She also made sure to tribute the late Dolly Parton and stated that we should all try to live by her “kindness and her mantra of her life of giving. Cheers to Dolly and It’s A Dying Art.”
The trek kicks off with a weekend of three shows across Florida and Georgia, starting in St. Petersburg on September 24. They will continue with stops in Atlanta, Boston, Orlando, San Antonio, Chicago, Toronto, and more through Nov. 22.
The post Little Big Town Reveals The Pre-Show Tradition That Has Stayed Strong for 25 Years appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
It’s good to see Dolly again! Fans at the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards knew Dolly Parton would be honored, but they didn’t expect her to appear. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
It’s good to see Dolly again! Fans at the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards knew Dolly Parton would be honored, but they didn’t expect her to appear. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
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To the surprise of absolutely no one, Taylor Frankie Paul is at the center of yet another legal controversy.
According to a new report from TMZ, Taylor has failed multiple court-ordered drug tests in recent months.
The nature of the drugs remains unclear, but the outlet reports that “at least one of them is not commonly available as a prescription med.”
As a result of her failed tests, Taylor will have her parenting time with her children reduced.
Taylor is currently involved in custody disputes with ex-husband Tate Paul and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
And the fact that she failed multiple tests in the past 60 days probably won’t help her secure the outcome she wants.
The news comes on the heels of news that Mikayla Matthews has decided to exit The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Matthews announced her decision in a lengthy Instagram post in which she referenced “problematic” behavior on set:
“I made my decision over a week ago, after hearing some news, that I will not be continuing the show at this moment,” Matthews wrote.
“I’ve said from the beginning of this that I’m not comfortable being a part of something that continues to platform behavior I don’t agree with, especially given my own experience growing up in a home with multiple forms of abuse,” she continued, adding:
“There’s no amount of money worth going against my morals or changing the stance I’ve had since I first saw and heard the things that made me feel this strongly.
“And for me personally, continuing to directly profit from this behavior feels wrong and unethical. It feels like a disservice to the children, everyone’s healing and the millions of people watching.”
It’s unclear if Matthews’ decision had anything to do with recent allegations against Paul.
But the decision to allow Taylor to rejoin the cast of Mormon Wives has resulted in significant controversy.
As you’ll probably recall, Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette was shelved earlier this year after footage of her hurling chairs at Mortensen became public.
According to police reports, one of the chairs struck Paul’s daughter, who was on hand for the incident.
For obvious reasons, Taylor’s parenting has come under heavy scrutiny in the months since.
And news that she’s failed multiple drug tests probably won’t do any wonders for her reputation.
Taylor Frankie Paul Failed Multiple Drug Tests, Will Lose Parenting Time With Kids: Report was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Chris Petersen didn’t mince words when asked what it was like the first time he took his new team back to play his old one. “It was the worst,” Petersen told me. In 2015, Petersen’s second season at Washington, the Huskies traveled to Boise State to square off against the program he had spent more than a decade building into a national powerhouse. The trip to the blue turf came in the opening week of the season, and the Broncos denied their ex-coach a victory, beating the Huskies, 16-13. “We had recruited probably 90% of those players over there,” said Petersen. “This was pre-transfer [portal] and so we didn’t bring one kid with us. I’m looking at that sideline and knowing these are all the guys that we left there and that was one of the hardest things that you ever had to do. “The other thing was, I had such an affinity for that place. It was really, really hard. Like, one of my least favorite games to have to ever compete in.” On Saturday, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin will experience some semblance of that when he leads the No. 7-ranked Tigers into Oxford to battle No. 8 Ole Miss, where he spent six seasons guiding the Rebels to unprecedented heights. Kiffin famously spurned his former team late last season, leaving for LSU just before Ole Miss made its College Football Playoff debut — a decision that infuriated Rebels fans and players alike. College football rivalries are part of what make this sport so great, one of the things that sets it apart from others. This matchup, though not a traditional rivalry, figures to be every bit as heated and contentious given the circumstances. It will stir up plenty of emotions. Pundits have likened it to bringing your new love back to meet your old flame. “The good thing for Lane is he’s getting this thing over fast — it’s not next year, it’s not later this season, he’s getting it done now,” Petersen told me, noting he had to wait a year and a half to face Boise State, while Kiffin will go to Oxford less than 10 months after his messy exit. “He’s going to have to go out on the field late and get off the field right away,” Petersen added with a chuckle. “Though, you know, kind of knowing Lane, he’ll probably be out there talking to fans and stirring it up.” While the conditions surrounding Kiffin’s return are certainly unusual, he is hardly the first coach to find himself in this position. Nick Saban clashed with LSU multiple times as Alabama’s head coach, while Steve Spurrier took South Carolina back to Gainesville to play Florida. Sonny Dykes went to SMU with TCU, and Dan Mullen met his old program when Florida traveled to Mississippi State. Those are just a handful of examples. It’s an awkward situation, but one that is bound to happen from time to time in sports. Saban, who coached at LSU from 2000-04 and won a national championship there, talked about his highly-anticipated return to Baton Rouge in 2008 during SEC media days this past summer. He said it was “one of the most difficult homecomings in the history of ball” and tried to prepare his players accordingly. “I always walk on the field two hours before the game and there’s usually nobody in the stadium,” Saban told the SEC Network. “The student section is already full and they are chanting some bad things at Nick Saban. “But the one thing that I think people underestimate is, when your players are with you and they understand the challenge, they look at it as a challenge. And sometimes the home team thinks this is going to be an advantage for us, and it really isn’t. We won that game in overtime [27-21] because of the great competitive disposition our team took into that game.” Kiffin, though, is something of a veteran when it comes to this particular predicament. He’s already been in this position a couple of times in his career. In 2014, Kiffin returned to Tennessee — where he coached for one season in 2009 before leaving for USC — as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. It was a hostile environment, with Volunteers fans still harboring resentment toward Kiffin years after his abrupt departure. On the first play of the game, former Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper caught an 80-yard touchdown pass, and Kiffin ran down the sideline celebrating as Alabama went on to win, 34-20. Years later, when Kiffin brought the Rebels to Neyland Stadium in 2021, the bad blood was still there. After Ole Miss beat Tennessee 31-26, fans chucked golf balls and other objects at him. During his news conference on Monday, Kiffin was asked what he and his Tigers might face Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. He knows the pregame chatter will center around him, and he doesn’t mind carrying that burden. “I told the players today, ‘Man, you don’t have anything to worry about as far as attention on you all week and everything,’” Kiffin said. ‘”There’s going to be so much attention, hatred, everything on me. You just get to go play.’ “The pressure is on them. We won seven games last year, they won 13. They return two Heisman candidates. How often does that happen in the same backfield? We had that [at USC] with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush … The pressure is not on you.” Even so, emotions will be running high. Petersen remembers the bizarre experience of landing at the airport, staying at the opposing team’s hotel and then pulling up to the stadium where he was greeted by a sea of Boise State fans dressed in blue and orange. Kiffin could very well encounter a similar sense of déjà vu, especially if he stops at any of his favorite haunts or takes a yoga class at his old studio. “It was a really different feeling because they’re all against you now, and it was never like that before,” Petersen said. “It was like, man, this is surreal.” Not to mention, Kiffin will be facing some former players, including star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, both of whom he hoped would follow him to Baton Rouge. Kiffin brought only four players with him from Ole Miss to LSU, including starting defensive end Princewill Umanmielen and linebacker TJ Dottery, along with 12 members of his coaching staff. “I think that’s going to be really hard on him because there are a lot of kids there that I’m sure he still cares about,” Petersen said of Kiffin. “There’s probably still coaches on the staff. The administration was great to him when he was there, and so he made a choice, and now he’s gotta walk right back into the hornet’s nest. “He’s just going to have to focus on this game, his team playing well, get in and out, and try to minimize the emotion and the drama as much as you can. But in some ways, Lane seems like he thrives on a lot of drama and chaos. So this may help him and his team compete better.” What can also help? Something Petersen’s team didn’t do. “The thing that will make this the most tolerable,” Petersen said, “is if your team goes out and plays well and wins the game.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
There’s a youth movement afoot within the United States men’s soccer team. On Thursday, coach Mauricio Pochettino named a 28-player roster for the Stars and Stripes’ first matches since reaching the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup – home exhibitions later this month and early next against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. It’s stocked with almost as many new faces as World Cup veterans, although star attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic will sit out this window. But the list includes 13 members of the squad that won its group and a knockout match against Bosnia and Herzegovina before being eliminated by Belgium. There are familiar names like Tyler Adams and Chris Richards plus five World Cup goalscorers: Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman and Auston Trusty. However, the list also features 12 youngsters who will be participating in their first senior international camp when it begins next week at U.S. Soccer’s training center outside Atlanta. “I think it’s a good mix of experience and fresh and new energy,” said Pochettino, who spoke to reporters following Thursday’s announcement. Among those are seven teenagers: 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan; 17-year-olds Mathis Albert and Adri Mehmeti; Julian Hall, Peyton Miller and Neil Pierre (all 18) and Justin Ellis (19). “He’s only 16, he’s a kid,” Pochettino said of Sullivan, who nonetheless has five goals and six assists in his last seven MLS games for the Philadelphia Union. “But I think the most important [thing] is that we have the opportunity now, because he deserves to join us in the national team.” Here are my takeaways from the roster, plus additional insight from Pochettino. The absence of several World Cup starters who are either just returning from a long layoff (Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun) or currently injured (Weston McKennie), plus the fact that the U.S. under-20 and -23 teams won’t reconvene until November, opened the door for Pochettino to look at some of the brightest talents in the entire player pool. The other youngsters are here on merit, too. Pierre, a towering 6-foot-7 center back who is Sullivan’s teammate in Philly, has also been playing and scoring regularly during the second half of the MLS season. Hall, Mehmeti and Miller have all been starters for their MLS clubs all season, and in Miller’s case even longer. And while Albert has been an unused sub in all four of Dortmund’s Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League matches to start the 2026-27 campaign, he did go 90 minutes in a German Cup match in early September and is considered a blue-chip prospect. There were also several 20-year-olds invited: winger Cole Campbell, keeper Diego Kochen and fullback Frankie Westfield. This camp also marks the return of AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah, who started all four games for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (where, at 19, he marked England star Jude Bellingham out of the Americans’ scoreless group stage tie against the Three Lions) but didn’t even make the 2026 squad. Still just 23, Musah — whose last cap came almost two years ago — could once again occupy a major role in central midfield this cycle. “Yunus is like everyone – the doors are open for everyone,” Pochettino said of Musah, who fell out of favor with the Argentine after skipping the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup along with Rossoneri teammate Pulisic. “Now it’s a new start. It’s a new cycle. It’s not [about] what happened one year or one year-and-a-half ago.” In this first camp of the 2030 World Cup cycle, Pochettino has the luxury of experimenting perhaps more than he will at any other point over the next four years. With FIFA combining the historically separate September and October international windows for the first time, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager will get a long look at the next generation in both training sessions and games. That’s an exceedingly rare opportunity for an international coach. “It’s a great opportunity to bring in new players with potential, with the possibility to spend more time training, more time together,” he said. Still, Poch also wants to win these games — especially next month’s cross-border derbies against Les Rouges and El Tri, two teams he’s never beaten in three tries as U.S. coach. And he has to win starting in November, when the U.S. will meet an opponent to be determined in the quarterfinals of the 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League. Assuming the Americans advance from home-and-home series, they’ll play the Nations League finals in March, then the Gold Cup in June, with qualifying matches for the 2030 World Cup set to kick off next fall. That means most of the kids will return to youth national teams, especially the Steve Cherundolo-coached U-23s that will produce at least 15 members of the Olympic team for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Pochettino said that Cherundolo would be at this camp, to which he summoned a dozen Olympic age-eligible players. “A gold medal,” Pochettino added. “Is the objective of the federation.” Pulisic wasn’t the only longtime U.S. player left out. Matt Turner and Tim Weah, both starters at the 2022 World Cup who served as depth options this summer, were also omitted despite seeing regular playing time for the Revs and Marseille, respectively. So was 38-year-old Tim Ream, the U.S. captain last summer, and Premier League starter Brenden Aaronson. Pulisic is 27. Weah is 26. Both will be back. But their longtime role as team leaders this cycle is up for debate, with Adams, Ricahards, Freeman and others potentially taking on more responsibility during Pochettino’s second go-round with the American squad. “It’s a very important period for us also to observe if senior players are good role models,” Pochettino said. “They need to know that the young playear are going to see everything: the way that you move, walk, talk, behave, and on the field and off.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Can Ole Miss spoil Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford? Will Houston prove it is a legitimate Big 12 contender against defending conference champion Texas Tech? And which teams will make an early statement in SEC play? The college football season rolls into Week 3 with a loaded slate headlined by LSU-Ole Miss. Kiffin returns to a hostile environment for one of the most anticipated games on the college football calendar. Elsewhere, Houston and Texas Tech meet Friday night on FOX, Kansas and Arizona State battle in London for “Big Noon Kickoff,” and SMU faces Louisville in a huge ACC showdown with major conference implications. So before Week 3 kicks off, we’re breaking down our straight-up picks and the matchups to watch closely throughout the weekend. Let’s dive into the action. When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)Where: Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, TexasLine: Texas Tech -7.5 RJ Young: HoustonThe Cougars are an experienced roster with a formidable rushing attack, putting up at least 225 rushing yards in each of their first two games. If running back Makhi Hughes can gash the Tech defense, Houston has a chance to pull off a remarkable upset, even as a top-25 team. Laken Litman: Texas TechIn what will be one of the better regular season matchups, the Red Raiders get their biggest conference win as they won’t have to play BYU or Utah until potentially meeting in the Big 12 championship game. Michael Cohen: Texas TechThere’s definitely some sneaky upset potential in this one, given how solid Houston has looked to start the season. But the fans in Lubbock have created an elite home environment during this NIL-fueled resurgence, and that should be the difference. Ben Portnoy: HoustonTexas Tech lost as many top-end defensive players as any team in the country between last year and this year. It’s shown up in spots so far this year, and I think it’s the difference on Saturday and Houston scores a big-time win. When: Saturday, noon ET (FOX)Where: Wembley Stadium, London, EnglandLine: Arizona State -5.5 Young: Arizona StateThe Sun Devils the clear advantage at quarterback with a consistent and precise Cutter Boley. Litman: Arizona State Quarterback Cutter Boley — who leads the Big 12 with 641 passing yards and eight touchdowns through two games — helps the Sun Devils bounce back from their loss to Texas A&M with a conference win over Kansas in London. Cohen: Arizona StateIt’s fair to wonder about a potential letdown for the Jayhawks following last week’s incredibly emotional rivalry game against Missouri. Arizona State bounces back from the loss to Texas A&M to take this one at home. Portnoy: Arizona StateArizona State gave Texas A&M a serious scare, and quarterback Cutter Boley has looked like a natural fit in Kenny Dillingham’s scheme. I like the Sun Devils in this one. When: Saturday, noon ET (ABC)Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, ArkansasLine: Georgia -24.5 Young: Georgia Even if the Arkansas defense plays lights out, the offense still has to score. The Dawgs have allowed just three offensive touchdowns in their first two games. Litman: GeorgiaThe Bulldogs get another dominant win before facing Oklahoma next week, and quarterback Gunner Stockton continues to make noise in the Heisman Trophy race (he has 436 passing yards and eight touchdowns through two games). Cohen: GeorgiaThe Bulldogs have come flying out of the gates this season by scoring 133 points in their first two games combined. But they’re also fifth in the country in total defense. That’s far too much balance for Arkansas to handle. Portnoy: Georgia Nothing hard here. Arkansas looked terrible a week ago at Utah. Georgia is still an SEC frontrunner. Dawgs by a lot. When: Saturday, noon ET (ESPN)Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South CarolinaLine: Clemson -3.5 Young: North CarolinaClemson hasn’t demonstrated it can score with any consistency against teams in its weight class, and Carolina has allowed just one offensive touchdown all year. Litman: North CarolinaBill Belichick gets off to a 3-0 start in his second year in Chapel Hill while Clemson continues its slide after naming true freshman Tait Reynolds its new starting quarterback. Cohen: North CarolinaThis might be one of the few times all season when North Carolina will face an opponent that is under just as much scrutiny as the Tar Heels. Things feel really, really messy at Clemson right now. The Tar Heels score an upset. Portnoy: North CarolinaLoser leaves town game for Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick? Somehow, UNC suddenly has the better vibes at the moment. The Tar Heels win this one as the chatter in the Upstate gets louder. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)Where: Kyle Field, College Station, TexasLine: Texas A&M -16.5 Young: Texas A&M The Aggies not only have more ways they can beat UK, but also a better roster. It can survive some miscues and still get a win against a Kentucky team that looks like upsetting someone — just not A&M. Litman: Texas A&M The Aggies’ defense controls the game and makes a statement as their former defensive coordinator, Jay Bateman, returns to College Station with Kentucky. Cohen: Texas A&MEven though Texas A&M has been somewhat pedestrian this season, the Aggies still have the seventh-most talented roster in the country based on the 247Sports Team Talent Composite. Eventually, talent wins out. They’ll take care of Kentucky. Portnoy: KentuckyI’m still a bit shocked to see how many people have A&M ranked as highly as they do now and during the preseason. Kentucky couldn’t keep pace with Alabama, but I like the Wildcats to score an upset here. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AlabamaLine: Alabama -19.5 Young: AlabamaMike Norvell’s seat was hot before the season started. Now, he faces a Tide team without the athletic director who hired him to have his back should things go terribly wrong in Tuscaloosa. Litman: AlabamaKeelon Russell improves after throwing two picks in Week 2’s win over Kentucky and Florida State misses its chance to get a statement non-conference win. Cohen: AlabamaIt wouldn’t be too surprising if Florida State went belly up early in this one. Not only is the seat beneath head coach Mike Norvell scorching hot, but the school also just fired its athletics director. Alabama could make this one ugly. Portnoy: AlabamaAlabama scored a nice win last week, rolling Kentucky in the second half. Florida State, meanwhile, fired its AD as heads are starting to roll in Tallahassee. Tide win huge. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KentuckyLine: Louisville -1.5 Young: LouisvilleIt’s not just that I liked how the Cardinals performed in their loss to Ole Miss; I also didn’t like how the Mustangs looked in their win over Florida State. Litman: SMUIn a game with CFP implications, the Mustangs stake their claim as the second-best team in the ACC behind Miami as quarterback Kevin Jennings continues to roll. Cohen: LouisvilleJeff Brohm is a darn-good football coach. He’s already transformed raw, athletic quarterback prospect Lincoln Kienholz into a legitimate player — something that never happened when Kienholz was at Ohio State — and the ceiling for this team feels quite high. Portnoy: LouisvilleI really liked what I saw from Louisville Week 1 against Ole Miss. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz continues to look more comfortable in Jeff Brohm’s offense, and I think he’s the difference here. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UtahLine: Utah -27.5 Young: UtahMorgan Scalley’s first two games have gone so well that I am already looking forward to this game to see more of backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin. Add to this Utah State’s loss to FCS Idaho State earlier this year. Litman: UtahThe No. 6 scoring offense piles up points against an in-state rival and first-year head coach Morgan Scalley improves to 3-0 ahead of Big 12 competition beginning next week. Cohen: UtahKyle Whittingham might be gone, but Utah remains an incredibly solid program. It demolished Arkansas last week and should do the same to Utah State on Saturday. Portnoy: UtahUtah annihilated a bad Arkansas team last week, while Utah State arguably should’ve beaten Washington a week ago. I’ll take Utah, but this game could get spicy if the Aggies hang around late. When: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AlabamaLine: Florida -2.5 Young: FloridaQuarterback Aaron Philo might actually be elite. It helps to have Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown on your team, but I have been wildly impressed by his decision-making and accuracy this season. Litman: AuburnByrum Brown continues to shine as Alex Golesh’s offensive revamp gets underway in SEC play. Cohen: AuburnThe Tigers have struggled on defense this season and enter the weekend ranked 77th nationally on that side of the ball, but stopping the run hasn’t been the problem. Auburn’s rush defense, which ranks 23rd, bows up and handles Jadan Baugh to score the small upset. Portnoy: FloridaPlain and simple, Florida has the better quarterback in this one. Jadan Baugh draws the headlines, but Aaron Philo has been uber-efficient against a soft opening slate. Jon Sumerall gets his first SEC win. When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MississippiLine: LSU -3 Young: LSUForget about Lane. Blake Baker’s defense is the best in the country and has everything it needs to upset and frustrate Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss. Litman: LSULane Kiffin gets the W in his highly anticipated return to Oxford. While most of the headlines surrounding LSU have been about off-field drama, the Tigers have a talented team that will contend for a CFP spot. Cohen: LSUThe Rebels are at home. The Rebels have the better quarterback. But they don’t have Lane Kiffin. And in a moment like this — when all eyes are on him in a critical moment — the sport’s greatest villain finds a way to get it done. Portnoy: LSUThe only thing I’m certain of in this one is that the kegs in the Grove are going to have their work cut out for them pregame. I’m still skeptical of Ole Miss’ defense long term, even after LSU and quarterback Sam Leavitt looked a bit shaky last week. Lane Kiffin wins the Revenge Bowl in Oxford.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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