College Football's Hottest Team Hit With Unfortunate Injury News

Indiana is expected to be without Kurtis Rourke this weekend against Washington.

The Hoosiers are one of the biggest stories in college football after jumping out to a blazing hot 7-0 start. The Hoosiers somehow went from being an afterthought in the Big Ten to being one of the best teams in America in Curt Cignetti's first year with the program.

In case there were any doubts about whether Indiana was legit, they should have been erased Saturday after the Hoosiers dominated Nebraska to the tune of 56-7.

Unfortunately, it came at a cost.

Kurtis Rourke and the Indiana Hoosiers are off to an impressive 7-0 start. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke reportedly won't play against Washington. 

The team's star QB injured his thumb against Nebraska, and he isn't expected to be available Saturday against the Huskies, according to Pete Thamel.

Thamel reported that the talented passer will return at some point this season, but an exact date isn't known.

This is a big blow for Indiana because Washington is definitely no pushover team. Rourke has 1,941 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just three interceptions on the season so far.

He's playing some incredibly solid football, and he's the main reason Indiana has managed to shock the college football world with its 7-0 start.

Not having Rourke on the field is a very big deal for the Hoosiers.

Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke isn't expected to play against Washington on Saturday. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Now, there is also some good news that should stop fans from panicking. Backup Tayven Jackson is a very serviceable dual-threat QB with plenty of experience. He enters the game against Washington with 225 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on the year. He's also rushed for 36 yards on six carries with a touchdown.

Losing a starter is never a good thing, but having Jackson being able to step right in and run the offense at a high level is about as good as it gets when it comes to needing a backup plan.

Kurtis Rourke is expected to be out against Washington. He suffered a thumb injury against Nebraska. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Hoosiers and Huskies will take the field at noon EDT as Indiana looks to improve to 8-0 with a backup under center. Let's find out what Cignetti can cook up. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.