No. 13 Indiana starting new QB with “College GameDay,” Washington visiting

Usually at this time of the year, Hoosiers are looking forward to the start of basketball season.Not this fall.Indiana’s football team has captured the state’s, if not the nation’s, imagination. ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on campus Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., for only the second time ahead of the No. 13 Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) game against Washington (4-3, 2-2).Indiana first hosted “College GameDay” back in 2017 ahead of a Thursday game against Ohio State.Indiana thrashed Nebraska 56-7 last Saturday, leading to a headline in The Athletic early this week regarding the candidates for the 12-team College Football Playoff read: “Yes, Indiana has a better chance than Alabama.”Of course, that was before Hoosiers starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke reportedly had thumb surgery Monday.”Right off the bat, Kurtis Rourke will not play this week. We do expect Kurtis to return during the regular season. That’s all I’ll say about the injury,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said.Cignetti did say Rourke, a sixth-year transfer from Ohio, was taking the injury in stride.”He’s a veteran guy, married guy,” Cignetti said. “He’s older, smart. Got a great attitude about it.”Rourke, who was getting some Heisman Trophy consideration by leading the top-scoring offense in the nation (48.7 points per game), was injured during the first half against the Cornhuskers when he hit a helmet during a throw. Rourke has completed 135 of 181 passes for 1,941 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions.Rourke will be replaced by Tayven Jackson, who started five games for the Hoosiers as a freshman last season. He guided Indiana to four second-half touchdowns last weekend, completing 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.