The Oregon Ducks football team received a gift Tuesday that ultimately could save its season.

Oregon quarterback Bryan Bennett had every reason to leave the Ducks but chose to stay, allowing UO to avoid an embarrassing and potentially troubling situation at the most important position on the field.

Bennett didn't sign with Oregon in 2010 as a four-star, dual-threat quarterback out of Encino, Calif., to ride the bench. He signed to start, to run the Ducks' spread-option offense and to be successful.

Bennett demonstrated last season that he could do all of the above while filling in for an injured Darron Thomas. Then Marcus Mariota came along. He's been hyped as the supposed second coming of Dan Fouts, Joey Harrington and Dennis Dixon all rolled into one. All reports indicate that Mariota, a redshirt freshman, is special. he and Bennett say they are friends. But that doesn't mean the latter must be content spending three years cheerleading for the former.

So it came as no shock Tuesday that the sophomore Bennett was contemplating transferring. He could take his three years of eligibility, sit out a year at a major program and have two years remaining to start.

All along it seemed that something had to give between these two talented quarterbacks so close in age. It's one thing to be a backup running back, like Kenjon Barner was to LaMichael James for three seasons, and still be able to rush for 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns. It's an entirely different story to be the backup quarterback and only play in blowouts, or hope (secretly) for the starter to get injured.

It's a tough position, this quarterback. Only one can play (unless Mike Bellotti is around). It's very difficult to keep two starting caliber quarterbacks happy. Convincing one that he should give up his childhood dreams and watch helplessly as another lives out his is not an easy sell.

But ultimately, Bennett had a change of heart following a meeting with coach Chip Kelly. One can only wonder what Kelly said. Maybe he promised Bennett playing time. Who knows? Either way...Oregon let out a collective "whew!" Kelly avoided being left with egg on his face before the season began.

Bennett's return also avoids Thomas' early departure from being viewed as a much more devastating situation than it appeared to be in January.

Rumor had it that Thomas, the program's all-time leader in touchdown passes (66), was not guaranteed the starting job in 2012 even though he had led the Ducks to their first appearance in a BCS National Championship Game and to the program's first Rose Bowl victory in 94 years.

If that little nugget is true (it has been verified anonymously by team sources) and helped push Thomas out the door with a year of eligibility remaining, the Ducks then also losing Bennett via transfer would be viewed as a major problem that could have been avoided.

Had Thomas returned as the starter, Bennett and Mariota would have had no choice but to return and wait to compete for the starting job in 2013. Had Mariota won the job then, Bennett might have been less likely to leave with just two years of eligibility remaining. And even if he did bolt, UO would have two redshirt freshmen to fall back on as backups in Jake Rodrigues and Jeff Lockie, or walk-on Dustin Haines, who will be a senior next year.

As it stands now, no Bennett in 2012 would have left Oregon one hit away from disaster in a season where several experts have picked the Ducks to reach the national championship.

Rodrgues, a four-star recruit, broke his leg at the end of his senior season and still walks with a limp. He enrolled early at UO and participated in spring drills. Maybe he's ready, maybe he's not, but turning the season over to him would make for a precarious situation. Freshman three-star recruit Jeff Lockie reportedly has performed well during camp. But again, how comfortable would anyone be with a true freshman starting at quarterback?

Mariota could very well go the entire season without missing time due to injury. But how often has that happened at UO during the spread-option era?

Remember 2007? The Ducks were cruising along with a Heisman Trophy in one hand and berth into the national title game in another when Dixon injured his knee making a cut against Arizona State. The following week he was done for good after reinjuring the knee at Arizona. Brady Leaf was the backup but he fit the spread-option about as well as De'Anthony Thomas would playing fullback. Leaf went down and Oregon had to turn to youngins Justin Roper, Nate Costa and Cody Kempt. That was not a pretty site, although Roper, after struggling early, improved enough to help UO salvage a Sun Bowl championship.

But all of this is moot, now. Bennett is remaining at Oregon. At least for this season. That gives the Ducks time to develop Lockie and Rodrigues as backups to Mariota next season. Of course, that's when the watch begins on the status of the two freshman. Would either be content sitting for four years behind Mariota? Its' not likely both would willingly do so.

The ability to load up with talent through recruiting is a luxury all programs hope to enjoy. But sometimes sorting out the fallout from competition battles can be delicate situation, especially at quarterback.

In this case, Oregon received a gift from Bennett. He had good reason to want to leave and no unselfish person could have fairly blamed him for doing so.

LINKS:

Sports Illustrated writers pick UO to reach BCS title game or Rose Bowl,

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Bryan Bennett decides

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Fentress and Jude discuss potential ramifications of a Bennett transfer.

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Bennett

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Arik Armstead among several

Bennett decides to stay, Kelly

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No announcement from UO about Bennett-Kelly

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After a year of growth, Tyler Johnstone

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Dennis Dixon

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--Aaron Fentress

Follow @AaronJFentress