Pure speculation, a guessing game, so make your picks after checking out the country’s 25 best

Wow, Alabama graduated its starting quarterback, its one-two punch running the ball, its two All-America pass catchers, and a number of outstanding defensive players.

Yet, the Crimson Tide has not fallen from the top. Nick Saban does not rebuild, he just continues to load up and envision another undefeated campaign. One tough stop might be at No. SEC rival 6 Texas A & M, otherwise it means possible challenges on paper that usually fall short.

Bama gets back only a trio of offensive starters, but Saban isn’t worried, for he answers with eight returning on defense. It will do the same, run-pass and play aggressive defense, and believe it, he even has depth.

Right behind could be Oklahoma and Clemson. The Sooners have cool and calm Spencer Rattler back at quarterback, and they are equally adept at running and passing the ball behind him. Plus, they have improved defensively and that could be a factor with seven returnees of D and nine, yes nine, on offense.

Clemson, too, will present another strong defense with nine starters back. The Tigers will mix it up on the ground and the air again, with five starters returning to the offense and the usual swift backs behind a strong line. But the defense is its main strength, and No. 10 North Carolina perhaps its biggest challenge in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and maybe even No. 15 Miami.

But Alabama won’t be tested by either one in the regular season while the Sooners are still in the Big 12 and the Tigers in the ACC. The word is that Oklahoma and No. 21 Texas are jumping to the SEC, but that won’t be until 2025.

No. 4 could be Georgia of the SEC and the Bulldogs, with probably the No. 1 mascot in the land, figures to run and run the ball, but will find time to also put it in the air while their defense will have to load up some with only four starters back. On offense, they can bank on five returnees.

Texas A & M, which previously played in the Big 12, is at No. 6 with seven offensive starters due back, but just four on defense. Still, the Aggies could be sky-high when they meet up with Alabama.

Iowa State, which beat Oklahoma two-straight times home and away, is up there at No. 7 and no doubt its biggest test should be on Nov. 10 at the Sooners. The Cyclones, who always come up with versatile quarterbacks who can pass and run, do have eight starters back on offense, yet only four back on the defensive side of the ball where they are always aggressive.

Then comes the Ducks with a run and pass offense that returns eight starters, while they can count on five defensive starters coming back. Their main threat should come from No. 13 Southern California.

Notre Dame is Notre Dame, always in the hunt and is No. 9 with seven starting defenders back and an offense that figures to be running and passing the ball behind six returning offensive starters.

Rounding out the top 10 are the Tar Heels, a program that has risen in recent years, and they show five offensive and six defensive starters coming back.

Ohio State is not going anywhere. It is still the best team in the Big Ten and will put the ball in the air, run the ball, and display its usual aggressive defense.It brings back six offensive starters and and five on defense.

The rest of the top 25 finds No. 17 Indiana up there following an impressive  turnabout last season and losing a tight one against the Buckeyes. Penn State tries to bounce back after a mediocre campaign and makes it in as No. 20 and maybe with a better Big Ten season.

Northwestern is at the bottom of the deck at No. 25, but also one of six Big Ten teams on the list. The SEC has five. The PAC-12 four. The ACC three.

There’s one newcomer, Coastal Carolina at No. 22, which lost only once last year and won an exciting tilt over Brigham Young in a clash of unbeaten teams at home.

In other key games, there’s Washington at Michigan on Sept. 11, Texas A & M the same day at Colorado, Auburn at Penn State on Sept. 18, and Cincinnati at Notre Dame on Oct. 2.