Question of the Day: Which team is best positioned to win the BCS championship next season?

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Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times

Auburn winning the national title was so last night, it’s time to get over it and move on to next year.

I would like Auburn to repeat if I knew student/freak athlete Cam Newton was returning, but I’m guessing his dad already contaminated his son’s eligibility Tuesday morning by signing with several agents.

Ohio State is also mystery meat. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor ‘promised’ to return for his senior year as a condition of playing in the Sugar Bowl, but that guarantee wasn’t written in tattoo ink. Louisiana State is loaded, no matter whether Les Miles returns, and watch out for Stanford now that Andrew Luck has decided to return. Yes, Stanford could win the national title.

But the two best teams, I think, on Jan. 11 are Oklahoma and Oregon. I suspect one or the other will be preseason No.1. Oklahoma returns 18 starters, including quarterback Landry Jones, and looked pretty talented in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon returns the internal organs of its fast-paced offense in quarterback Darron Thomas and tailbacks LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner.

Next year’s BCS title game is in New Orleans. See you there.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune

When Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles announced he’d pass on the chance for NFL cash, the Sooners became the team to beat.

Broyles will snag passes next year from Landry Jones, a junior-to-be who put up these outrageous numbers in the Fiesta Bowl against UConn: 34 for 49 passing, 429 yards, three touchdowns. And Jones will be protected by an offensive line with four returning starters. The defense could return nine.

An early-season victory over Florida State in Tallahassee would give the Sooners a surge. And they won’t even have to win the Big 12 title game -- because there won’t be one. Minus Nebraska and Colorado, the incredible shrinking conference will determine its champion the old-fashioned way: by the standings.

[Updated at 11:40 a.m.:

Nick Mathews, Newport News Daily Press

I want to answer Oregon. Coach Chip Kelly has the confidence — “We’ll be back,” he said Monday — and the explosive offense.

If not Oregon, maybe Oklahoma, which looked dominant at times in its 12-2 season. Or maybe Ohio State, which will be fine in its first five games (four at home and a trip to troubled Miami) without suspended QB Terrelle Pryor.

All three are good answers. But, wait, they are not SEC schools. Only schools from the biggest, baddest conference in the land are allowed to win the title. It has claimed the last five after all. So, whichever team survives the SEC will be the correct answer.

Which will that be? Who knows? So, I went to Pickrandom.com, put the SEC schools in alphabetical order and hit enter. Came out Florida. Really. Works for me.]