The eight best quarterback performances from Saturday -- an "elite eight," as it were:
Things we learned
From Johnny Manziel's heroics in a thriller at Ole Miss to Marcus Mariota's dismantling of Washington, here are 37 things we learned from college football's seventh weekend. **More ...**
8. Bryce Petty, Baylor
The key stats:12 of 21, 332 yards, 3 TDs, no interceptions, 1 rushing TD vs. Kansas State
The buzz: Petty didn't complete that many passes, but each of his TD passes covered at least 54 yards and two covered at least 72 yards. Petty helped the Bears rally from a fourth-quarter deficit.
7. Davis Webb, Texas Tech
The key stats: 35 of 56, 415 yards, 3 TDs, 1 interception vs. Iowa State
The buzz: The Red Raiders held off one-win Iowa State thanks to the big day from Webb, a true freshman making his first college start. Tech rolled up 666 yards of offense.
6. Tajh Boyd, Clemson
The key stats: 30 of 44, 334 yards, 1 TD, no interceptions, 1 rushing TD vs. Boston College
The buzz: Clemson struggled to score and didn't put away Boston College until scoring two fourth-quarter TDs. Boyd played well, though, and hit some big plays in the passing game. Next week's game at home against Florida State will define Clemson's season.
5. David Fales, San Jose State
The key stats: 28 of 35, 431 yards, 3 TDs, 1 interception vs. Colorado State
The buzz: Fales torched Colorado State's secondary, and each of his three TD passes covered at least 62 yards. Fales guided an offense that rolled up 608 total yards.
4. Brett Hundley, UCLA
The key stats: 31 of 41, 410 yards, 3 TDs, no interceptions vs. California
The buzz: Hundley, a sophomore, set a career-high in passing yardage. It was the first 400-yard game of his career and the fifth time he reached the 300-yard plateau. Hundley did a nice job spreading the ball around, with 10 players having at least one reception and four receivers having at least 68 yards.
3. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
The key stats: 31 of 39, 346 yards, no TDs, one interception, 124 rushing yards, 2 TDs vs. Ole Miss
The buzz: It was the 10th game in Manziel's career with at least two rushing TDs but the fourth time in his career with no touchdown passes. Manziel guided A&M on two scoring drives in the final five minutes to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit.
2. Sean Mannion, Oregon State
The key stats: 34 of 51, 493 yards, 4 TDs, 1 interception vs. Washington State
The buzz: Mannion, a junior, set a career-high in passing yards in leading the Beavers to a huge second half in a win over Washington State. He threw one TD pass in the first half and three in the second, including two to Brandin Cooks in the fourth quarter as the Beavers pulled away. It was his fourth 400-yard game of the season and the fifth of his career.
1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon
The key stats: 24 of 31, 366 yards, 3 TDs, no interceptions, 88 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD vs. Washington
The buzz: Oregon faced a tough Washington team and a rowdy Huskies crowd, but eventually pulled away to win a big game. Mariota scored on a short run and tossed a TD pass in the fourth quarter to subdue the Huskies. He has yet to throw a pick this season.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
