Alabama is a little more than five months away (hopefully) from its season-opener against Southern California on Sept. 5. While spring football doesn’t appear to be on the horizon anytime soon, that didn't stop NCAA.com from updating its preseason top 25 last week.

Free-30-Days To BamaInsider.com

Even with the loss of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Crimson Tide is expected to once again compete for a spot in this year’s College Football Playoff. That was no different in the NCAA’s latest top 25 where it ranked Alabama No. 3 behind No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Ohio State and in front of defending national champion LSU at No. 4.

“Tua Tagovailoa is gone, but the offense should still be among the nation's best — no matter which player lines up at QB,” the article's author Wayne Staats wrote. “Mac Jones passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns in the bowl win vs. Michigan, plus there's 5-star QB Bryce Young. On defense, linebacker Dylan Moses returns after missing last season with a torn ACL.”

Alabama finished 11-2 last season, missing the College Football Playoff for the first time since it was established in 2014. However, as Staats points out, Crimson Tide fans still have plenty to look forward to. Whether Alabama elects to go with Jones or Young at quarterback, its offense will be returning its leading receiver in DeVonta Smith as well as its leading rusher in Najee Harris. The Crimson Tide will also bring back four out of the five starting offensive linemen from a unit that finished as a Joe Moore Award finalist last season.

As Staats alluded to, Moses should also offer a much-needed veteran presence to the middle of Alabama’s defense. Without the former Butkus Award finalist, the Crimson Tide was forced to start a pair of freshmen in Christian Harris and Shane Lee at inside linebacker last season. The growth of those two players combined with the return of Moses and fellow veteran linebacker Joshua McMillon should cut out some of the growing pains that plagued the Tide in both of its losses.

According to the latest poll update, Alabama will play five ranked teams in the regular season, including No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Georgia No. 10 Auburn, No. 13 Texas A&M and No. 19 Southern California. Games against Georgia, Auburn and Texas A&M will all be inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, while the matchup against LSU will be in Baton Rouge, La., and the opener against USC would be inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Crimson Tide could also potentially face No. 9 Florida in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

Here’s what Staats had to say about each ranked team Alabama will be facing next season.

“Yes, Heisman winner Joe Burrow is headed to the NFL after a historic senior season, with Myles Brennan possibly taking over for head coach Ed Orgeron. Plus Biletnikoff winner Ja'Marr Chase will be back in Death Valley. However, LSU will lose DC Dave Aranda, who's left to become the Baylor head coach.”

“UGA loses a bunch of stars, from QB Jake Fromm and RB D'Andre Swift to its experienced offensive linemen. But when it comes to talent, Georgia will again be up there among Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State. The Bulldogs got a boost with Wake Forest transfer QB Jamie Newman picking UGA. The Dawgs will also again have one of the top defenses in the country.”

"The Tigers were a fascinating team. They beat eventual Rose Bowl champion Oregon, ended rival Alabama's title hopes and battled with LSU and Georgia in close losses and also lost to Minnesota in the Outback Bowl to end the season. Still, it was a 9-win season. Another step forward will likely depend on improvement (and consistency) from QB Bo Nix in his sophomore season."

"Considering the Aggies played at Clemson, at Georgia, at LSU and had two home games against Auburn and Alabama, there's no shame in losing five games this year. But that still marked the gap between A&M and contending for SEC West titles (or more). With QB Kellen Mond set for a third year as the starting quarterback, 2020 could be special if things break right. Oh, Clemson and Georgia are now off the schedule, too."

"The potential is there. QB Kedon Slovis finished with 3,502 passing yards and brings back a bunch of skill players led by WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. The defense could also be better once the new coordinator is hired. But the truth remains the Trojans have gone 5-7 and 8-5 the past two seasons."

1. Clemson

2. Ohio State

3. Alabama

4. LSU

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Oklahoma

8. Penn State

9. Florida

10. Auburn

11. Notre Dame

12. Oklahoma State

13. Texas A&M

14. Texas

15. Michigan

16. Wisconsin

17. North Carolina

18. Minnesota

19. USC

20. UCF

21. Cincinnati

22. Utah

23. Iowa State

24. Iowa

25. Arizona State

Contact Andrew Bone for all of your real estate needs; buyers, sellers, investors, developers. Property management; BoneHomeTours.com Call 205-531-5577 or click here