Ted's Takes: Pac-12 a Big Winner in Wake of Tumultuous Weekend for Big Ten

College football experienced a seismic shock Saturday night, and the Pac-12 emerged as the big winner in the national playoff picture.

Big Ten prestige was battered by Michigan State and Ohio State losses leaving that conference in search of a national playoff contender. On the same day, three Pac-12 teams performed at playoff levels. By nightfall, one could envision a playoff with two teams each from the Pac-12 and SEC, and a Big Ten shutout.

Confirmed in the second half of a late Eugene, Oregon, afternoon was Marcus Mariota's place atop the quarterback ladder. Oregon seemingly won twice Saturday, as USC dealt Stanford a big conference loss. But the game in Palo Alto displayed a brand of football skeptics doubted the Pac-12 could play.

Stanford and USC fought their battle at the line of scrimmage. This was not about sideways passing, bubble screens or finding "space" for small, fast men. This was retro football…to run and stop the run. Jim Harbaugh reintroduced said style of play at Stanford, and David Shaw further reinforced it.

In the second quarter, Stanford twice aligned with no wide players and ran straight at the Trojans. Then the Trojans adopted their no-huddle offense with yard splits between offensive linemen. Was this really USC?

Yet, the game was decided by the Trojans winning that line of scrimmage battle on two plays: a Stanford 4th-and-1 from the USC 3 late in the third quarter and the end-of-game strip-sack of Kevin Hogan by J.R. Tavai.

TONY AVELAR/Associated Press

A 13-10 game was Stanford's style, and USC beat Stanford at its own game. Nothing could be of greater help to the Pac-12's national perception.

Four touchdowns in Oregon's final five possessions of a 46-27 victory over Michigan State helped save the Ducks' national stance, while Mariota enhanced his Heisman hopes with one sparkling play. It came on a 3rd-and-10 midway through the third quarter with Oregon's offense stalled and the Ducks staring at a nine-point deficit.

The Spartans brought pressure, and Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio thought his team had a sack, but Mariota escaped to his left. Despite having nothing but open field ahead, the junior signal-caller chose to flip a shovel pass to Royce Freeman. A 17-yard play resulted from Mariota's improvisation. Mere mortals would never have escaped the rush, let alone generated that result.

"We had to stop the momentum and we had him dead to right and he got out. We had him. I even said, 'He's sacked,'" Dantonio told reporters. "You have to credit him, that's why he's the player he is."

On the next drive, Mariota ran for a first down on 3rd-and-9. He does not often show his speed, but when he does, Mariota's stride and acceleration evoke an image of a younger Colin Kaepernick.

Mariota had a quality passing day: 17-of-28 for 318 yards and three touchdowns. The Ducks had a national credibility win. And Mariota landed squarely atop the Heisman ladder in mid-September.

Why So Early for USC-Stanford?

Stanford could not afford a home loss facing a road gauntlet (Washington, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA).

Why did Stanford and USC play in Week 2? The catalyst was not TV, but Notre Dame. Both schools play the Irish during the conference season. Thus, both must play a conference game in September. The Pac-12, with its schedule disrupted, decided USC and Stanford, creators of the issue, would simply play each other.

Bruin Questions

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

UCLA was out of the spotlight for one week, although its home opener Saturday was surprisingly tight. Memphis ran a diverse offense that created 14 plays of 10 or more yards. Defensive problems kept UCLA from securing the 42-35 win until the final minute.

Better news for the Bruins was the return of center Jake Brendel, whose presence stabilized the offensive line. Afforded better protection, junior quarterback Brett Hundley completed 33 passes for 396 yards, restoring his Heisman presence in the process.

I left the Rose Bowl believing UCLA to be a very good team. National contender? That takes us back to retro football: Can UCLA run the ball? Leading by seven with seven minutes to play, the Bruins could not summon a ground game to run out the remaining time.

As an NFL general manager said to me over the weekend, "You can win games throwing the ball all over the field, but you can't win championships without a run game."

UCLA Scene Thrives with Mora 

The Rose Bowl was electric Saturday night, with an announced crowd of 72,098 providing a lively buzz.

The pregame sideline was jammed. Jim Mora has created a vibe around UCLA football. Strange perhaps in that Mora was born and bred in the NFL at the feet of his father.

Jim Mora Sr. was on the sidelines Saturday night and offered his son's recruiting success as the big surprise of his successful adjustment to college. His son's living-room connection with parents, the lifeblood to recruiting, has impressed Mora the Elder. And dad confirmed what his son told me last week: "I am a college coach. I love it."

Ted Robinson has been around the Pac-10 and Pac-12 for 30 years as the voice of Stanford football and now the Pac-12 Networks. He also is the San Francisco 49ers' radio play-by-play man, as part of his wide-ranging broadcast work on national and international sports.