We’ll know just how real Kurtis Rourke’s chances of winning the Heisman are on Saturday.
The Indiana QB is the co-No. 4 favorite for the award heading into the No. 5 Hoosiers’ gargantuan matchup at No. 2 Ohio State. Rourke is at +3000 entering Week 13 along with Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
The former MAC Offensive Player of the Year has been fantastic in his first season at Indiana. He transferred to the Hoosiers in the offseason as part of coach Curt Cignetti’s makeover of the program. Over nine games so far this season, Rourke is 171-of-238 passing for 2,410 yards and 21 TDs to just four interceptions.
Rourke was one of the best quarterbacks in college football during the 2022 season before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury near the end of the regular season. Over 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 that Rourke wasn’t 100%. His stats declined last season as he threw for just 2,207 yards and 11 TDs.
With a sixth season of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA’s extra pandemic year, Rourke made the jump to power conference football ahead of 2024. And he’s been Indiana’s best quarterback since Michael Penix Jr.
It’s no coincidence that the Hoosiers are having their first winning season since Penix’s final full 2020 season in Bloomington. The former Washington QB played in just five games due to injury in 2021 as four QBs saw significant playing time in a 2-10 season. Indiana then searched for solid QB play over the past two seasons to no avail and won 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 are going to need to put up some big plays against the Ohio State defense to pull the upset on Saturday, 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 odds are going to get immensely shorter and his chances of a Heisman finalist will be very, very real.
If Ohio State wins, and wins comfortably, Rourke’s fringe 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 odds aren’t as short as they were in the immediate wake of Week 12, but he’s still the significant favorite. The Buffaloes visit Kansas (at Arrowhead Stadium) in Week 13 as 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 rushing this weekend against Wyoming. He has 256 carries for 1,893 yards and 26 TDs through 10 games. It’s not out of the question that he could hit the 30-TD threshold as well.
Miami QB Cam Ward (+1500): The Hurricanes have a home game against Wake Forest on Saturday as Ward has his first chance to bounce back after Miami’s first loss of the season. Ward is averaging nearly 350 passing yards a game and has thrown for 32 TDs in just 10 games.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+3000): If you’re looking for a relative Heisman sleeper and don’t think Indiana is going to win on Saturday, your eggs should be in Milroe’s basket. Alabama has the tiebreaker edge 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 out of the Heisman mix altogether after his pedestrian performance against Wisconsin? The Ducks are off in Week 13 and there’s a solid chance that Oregon will be the only undefeated team in the country entering the last week of the regular season. If that’s true, we’re intrigued to see where Gabriel’s odds are.