What happened: Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor and Oregon starter Dante Moore will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering injuries against Missouri and USC, respectively. They join UCLA starter Nico Iamaleava, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL against Oregon, and Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel, who tore his right ACL against Virginia Tech. Ohio State starter Julian Sayin is also out indefinitely with a shoulder injury sustained in a win over Indiana.

Why it matters: The wave of quarterback injuries has reshaped both the Heisman Trophy race and College Football Playoff positioning across major conferences. Mississippi State dropped consecutive games to Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma after opening 4-0, while Oregon fell to 4-3 using backups Brock Thomas and Dylan Raiola. Pitt has lost three straight games since its 5-0 start, including a 52-23 defeat to Miami, and UCLA has turned to Ty Dieffenbach to keep its postseason push on track.

What to watch: Ohio State returns from its bye week to face USC on Saturday with backups Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair behind Sayin. Taylor faces surgery on his injured toe as Mississippi State and Oregon navigate the remainder of their conference schedules with backup quarterbacks.