Oregon enters 2018 with an undisputed starter at quarterback in Justin Herbert.
Had history been different, however, there could have been an epic quarterback battle in Eugene this year.
Tua Tagovailoa, the Alabama freshman who was inserted in the second half of Monday's national title game and led the Crimson Tide to their fifth national title in nine years, grew up idolizing Marcus Mariota and attended his high school, Saint Louis School, in Honolulu. During his recruitment, Tagovailoa was said to dream of playing for Oregon, but the interest wasn't reciprocated. By the time UO needed a quarterback in its 2017 class, Tagovailoa had been snapped up by Nick Saban.