by Tim Stephens, Sentinel Columnist , Orlando Sentinel

Tim Tebow is the answer to that question. If he returns to Florida, the Gators will be No. 1 again in August. Even if Florida loses the likes of Percy Harvin or Brandon Spikes to the NFL Draft, Tebow's presence will cause voters to swoon.

If he bolts, No. 1 is likely to be determined by other high-profile quarterbacks. Decisions by Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Texas' Colt McCoy (who already has said he is staying) and USC's Mark Sanchez will shape the national-title chase.

If they all come back to school instead of heading to the pros, the August Top 10 is going to look a lot like today's.

Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and USC are so rich in talent that they can plug in new starters on offense and defense and not miss a beat if -- and in some cases, this might be a big if -- their signal-callers return to school.

Here is a quick look at teams who'll be in many preseason top 10s.

*Florida -- The hunch here is that Tebow returns unless he is guaranteed by a team that he's going in the first round. He's simply having too much fun right now being, well, Tim Tebow Superstar to become just another clipboard holder fighting for a job. The likes of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps give him weapons, and the defense will be absolutely stacked.

*Oklahoma -- The Sooners' defense proved its worth by slowing down the Gators. It'll be experienced and one of the best in the Big 12. The offense has major turnover, so Bradford is key. OU can reload if he stays. If he goes to the NFL, this team won't be the Big 12 favorite but will still have enough talent to challenge for a BCS bowl.

*USC -- USC's defense didn't get nearly enough praise for being one of the best in recent years; there is major restocking to do on that side of the ball. The offense should be awesome if Sanchez is back. If he departs, USC will slide in another hotshot recruit but may have to worry more about the annual upset.

*Texas -- Putting Texas in your top 10 is a lock under Mack Brown, who has had eight consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins. McCoy's senior season will feature a loaded receiving corps and veteran offensive line. That's a recipe for another Heisman bid and national-title run.

*Oklahoma State -- The Cowboys look like this year's version of Texas Tech. The trio of QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant and RB Kendall Hunter will put up video-game numbers again. Defensive improvement could elevate them to the top of the Big 12.

*Ole Miss -- By now you should have figured out that Ole Miss' win at Florida wasn't a fluke. The Rebels had their chances to beat Alabama, crushed Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl and have big-time recruiting momentum going under Houston Nutt. QB Jevan Snead will get Heisman consideration.

*Virginia Tech -- The Hokies won the Orange Bowl in a down year and return virtually everyone on both sides of the ball. If QB Tyrod Taylor progresses on schedule, Frank Beamer's squad will be the leader in a much-improved ACC.

*Alabama -- The Tide has to find a quarterback to replace John Parker Wilson and will have to fill some holes on the line of scrimmage. But Nick Saban is a recruiting machine; young talent is abundant. More important, the winning attitude is back.

*Ohio State -- Not sure they deserve it, but we'll have to include a Big Ten team. Penn State has some big graduation losses and Ohio State lost Beanie Wells to the pros, but we'll go with the Buckeyes because of QB Terrelle Pryor.

*LSU -- This team will get mixed previews. The Tigers never seemed to fully recover from their beatdown at Florida, but closing with a romp over Georgia Tech was a good sign. Talent won't be a problem. The question is whether Jordan Jefferson becomes the answer at QB.

Also considered: Pittsburgh, Boise State, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Oregon, California, Texas Tech

Rising: Illinois, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida State, North Carolina

Falling: Missouri, Georgia, Tulsa, Boston College, West Virginia

This & that

*President-elect Obama's calls for a playoff might eventually bear fruit, but for now, the system gave us what it is designed to do. One could make a compelling argument for Texas, USC or Utah as national champion and I wouldn't argue too strongly against it. But let's look at what Florida did after its only loss, to Ole Miss. The Gators routed the defending national champ, LSU. They blistered the preseason No. 1, Georgia. They took over the fourth quarter against the end-of-regular-season No. 1, Alabama. Then they capped the season with another fourth-quarter knockout, in the BCS title game vs. No. 1 Oklahoma. Deserving champs, no doubt.

*Will there be another Utah in 2009? The Utes still will be good, but the playmaking skills of QB Brian Johnson will be tough to replace. TCU seems the more likely Mountain West BCS-buster. Boise State will again be loaded in the WAC. Ball State's hopes in the MAC rest on whether QB Nate Davis returns to school. In Conference USA, keep an eye on Houston. The Cougars have a big-time QB in record-setting Case Keenum and opportunities for a big splash against Texas Tech and Mississippi State.

*Boston College's upset of North Carolina and Illinois State's loss at Bradley means we're already down to only three undefeated teams in college basketball. Pittsburgh (14-0), Wake Forest (13-0) and Clemson (15-0) all seem destined to pick up loss No. 1 soon, with Wake Forest being most likely to fall next. The fourth-ranked Demon Deacons host No. 3 North Carolina at 8 p.m. Sunday.

*Move over, Bob Knight. You've probably never heard of Don Meyer, but you've certainly heard of the coach he can pass on the all-time college basketball wins list today. Meyer is the coach at Division II Northern State of Aberdeen, S.D., and a win today over University of Mary will be the 903rd of his career. That would move him past the legendary Knight into the No. 1 position, all divisions. A subplot is that Meyer, 64, still is recovering from a September car accident that forced the amputation of part of his leg. In treating his injuries, doctors also discovered the coach has cancer. Emotions are sure to be flowing whenever the milestone win occurs.

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