Mariota returned after an injury and led Oregon to another beat-down, this time over Cal. (Scott Enyeart/NT)

Give the Pac-12 credit. It impressed from a national perspective with eight bowl-eligible teams by the end of the season. Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Oregon State are all ranked this week, giving this conference some firepower, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Not only are they improving, but talent is immersed all across the board. Even the bottom feeders like Cal and WSU have played strong when on the biggest stage of ESPN Saturday Night Football.

Here is what shook out from an intriguing Saturday for the Pac-12. 

Oregon Rolling

Marcus Mariota continued his outstanding freshman campaign, leading the Ducks to their 59-17 victory over California. Mariota threw for a career high six touchdowns and proved that he is definitely the best quarterback in the conference. Yes, Mariota has been playing the best football in the conference, hands down.  

Tailback Kenjon Barner was limited after his epic performance against USC with only 65 yards rushing. He left the game in the third quarter with an arm injury, but he did return to action. What made life tough for the Ducks was that three defensive lineman traveled for Oregon who were not even on the active roster a week ago.

Chip Kelly’s team battled the pesky Golden Bears who fought with Oregon for three and a half quarters. Zach Maynard missed time with an injury for Cal, so Iso Sofele literally carried the load for Cal racking in 154 yards rushing. In the fourth quarter, Oregon’s speed and Mariota’s arm were too much, propelling the Ducks into the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll.

Oregon State Blown Opportunity

The Beavers dominated the turnover battle and outplayed Stanford the entire game, but they could not pull out the victory. With the loss, quarterback Cody Vaz and company will be denied a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game and will now be eyeing a trip to the Holiday Bowl.

New starting quarterback Kevin Hogan has brought balance to the Stanford offense with his strong arm. Hogan led the Cardinal on a game winning drive late in the fourth, making next weekend's matchup with Oregon meaningful for the Pac-12 North Championship.

Mike Riley should win coach of the year with his job at Oregon State. Unfortunately, the magic ride has fallen short over the past few weeks, deflating their outside chance at the Rose Bowl. Stanford, meanwhile, has everything to play for and now has the balanced offense to beat the likes of Oregon.

Mike Leach Controversy

Mike Leach was heavily recruited by Washington State for one key reason: score more points to win games. So far this season, WSU has not delivered in the win department, although their offense has improved.

The biggest issue for WSU is whether this current coaching staff is earning the respect of their players. Star receiver Marquess Wilson responded to a suspension supplied by Leach in a very negative manner.

Wilson decided to drop out of Washington State football, and I assume he will look to play somewhere else for his senior season. Wilson has voiced his frustration with the coaching staff, stating his frustration with the coaching staff and their handling of the teams struggles.

Is Wilson accurate, and can we blame Leach and staff for being too critical? Some of Wilson’s claims seem inhumane and downright horrendous for a coaching staff that should act with class and professionalism.

Jeff Tuel should be quarterback of the future in Pullman, Wash. and must continue to improve regardless of who is calling the shots. If this team wants to improve, they must rally under a fair leadership that will work towards winning football games.

"Moody" McNeal's 3 TDs proplled USC to a winner-take-all game next week against UCLA with the Pac-12 South title on the line. (Jerry Ting/NT)

Big props to Curtis McNeal who stepped up in Silas Redd’s absence by racking in 163 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the Trojans big 38-17 victory. His play was huge in propelling the Trojans second-half comeback in a must-win match against Arizona State.

After this weekend's action, both the Pac-12 North and South will be decided with mega matchups between Oregon vs. Stanford, the College Game Day game of the week, and UCLA vs. USC from the Rose Bowl.

Reach Staff Writer Evan Budrovich here or follow him on Twitter.