Pat Forde sends eyebrow-raising statement on Indiana before Hoosiers host Washington for College GameDay

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde believes Indiana won’t miss a beat without starting QB Kurtis Rourke under center. Forde claimed the Hoosiers would be “fine” with backup Tayven Jackson getting the nod in Rourke’s absence.

IU is hosting ESPN’s College GameDay. The Hoosiers won’t squander this opportunity with the College Football Playoff championship runner-up, Washington, in town for a new-age Big Ten matchup.

“The Hoosiers should be fine with backup quarterback Tayven Jackson, who started several games last year and has played well in relief duty this year,” Forde wrote. “Meanwhile, the Huskies are winless in two multi-time-zone Big Ten road trips, falling at Rutgers and Iowa. And they are walking into an ESPN “College GameDay” frenzy in Bloomington, which doesn’t get these kinds of opportunities often.”

Rourke isn’t expected to be out long based on Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s prognosis of the situation.

“He had a thumb on a helmet, nail kind of came off,” Cignetti said on October 19 postgame following a 56-7 blowout win over Nebraska. “We’ll know more tomorrow. But optimistic.”

Jackson is expected to hold down the fort for the former Ohio star. If no beat is skipped, the Hoosiers will move closer to the top 10.

Indiana could continue dream season with Lee Corso coming homeCollege GameDay being in Bloomington means Lee Corso will be back where he formed his coaching legend. It’d continue the ongoing dream Hoosier fans are living through in 2024 with the Big Ten going coast-to-coast.

Indiana wasn’t on anyone’s radar before the season. Now, the Hoosiers are the darkest horse in the sport.