On Saturday we will find out how realistic Kurtis Rourke’s chances are of winning the Heisman.
The Indiana QB is the co-No. 4 favorite for the award heading into the No. 5 Hoosiers’ huge matchup at No. 2 Ohio State. Rourke is listed at +3000 entering Week 13 along with Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
The former MAC Offensive Player of the Year was fantastic in his first season at Indiana. He transferred to the Hoosiers in the offseason as part of coach Curt Cignetti’s program makeover. In nine games so far this season, Rourke is 171 of 238 for 2,410 yards and 21 touchdowns on just four interceptions.
Rourke was one of the best quarterbacks in college football during the 2022 season before suffering an ACL injury toward the end of the regular season. Through 11 games at Ohio, Rourke threw for over 3,200 yards and 25 TDs while completing over 69% of his passes and throwing just four interceptions.
He returned to the Bobcats for the 2023 season less than a year after surgery and it was clear Rourke wasn’t 100%. His stats dipped last season, throwing for just 2,207 yards and 11 touchdowns.
With a sixth season of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA’s extra pandemic year, Rourke made the jump to Power Conference Football before 2024. And he’s Indiana’s best quarterback since Michael Penix Jr.
It’s no coincidence that the Hoosiers are coming off their first winning season since Penix’s last full season of 2020 in Bloomington. The former Washington QB played in just five games in 2021 due to injury, as four QBs saw significant playing time in a 2-10 season. Indiana then searched in vain for solid QB play over the past two seasons, winning just seven combined games.
This season, the Hoosiers rank second in college football with 43.9 points per game. Rourke’s ability to throw the ball has opened up rushing lanes for Ty Son Lawton and Justice Ellison as the Hoosiers have averaged 6.9 yards per play.
The Hoosiers will need to make some big plays against Ohio State’s defense on Saturday to ease the upset, and Rourke will need to be the catalyst. If he has a big game against the Buckeyes in a win as a double-digit underdog, his chances will be greatly diminished and his chances of being a Heisman finalist will be very, very real.
If Ohio State wins, and wins comfortably, Rourke’s marginal candidacy will be over.
Here’s a look at the odds for the other favorites ahead of Week 13.
Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter (-400): Hunter’s chances aren’t as slim as they were in the immediate aftermath of Week 12, but he’s still the heavy favorite. The Buffaloes visit Kansas in Week 13, where Hunter will get a chance to put on a show in an NFL stadium.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+400): Jeanty should surpass 2,000 yards this weekend against Wyoming. He has 256 carries for 1,893 yards and 26 TDs through 10 games. It is not excluded that he could also reach the 30 TD threshold.
Miami QB Cam Ward (+1500): The Hurricanes have a home game against Wake Forest on Saturday, with Ward getting his first chance to bounce back from Miami’s first loss of the season. Ward is averaging nearly 350 passing yards per game and has thrown for 32 touchdowns in just 10 games.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+3000): If you’re looking for a relative Heisman sleeper and don’t think Indiana will win on Saturday, your eggs should be in Milroe’s basket. Alabama has the tiebreaker lead in a 6-2 cluster at the top of the SEC. A strong finish to the regular season and a big performance in the SEC title game could put Milroe right there with Hunter and Jeanty.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+4000): Is Gabriel completely out of the Heisman mix after his pedestrian performance against Wisconsin? The Ducks are off in Week 13 and there’s a good chance Oregon will be the only undefeated team in the country entering the final week of the regular season. If that’s true, we’re curious to see where Gabriel’s chances lie.
