Indiana’s magical season is still rolling after a wild ride but a big win against Michigan State. It moves the Hoosiers to 9-0 as Curt Cignetti’s group continues to defy the odds with a shot to storm right into the College Football Playoff.

This week, star quarterback Kurtis Rourke returned to the lineup after missing last week’s game with a thumb injury. While it took him a few drives to find his rhythm, he quickly rounded into form and led a major push against the Spartans.

When the final horn sounded, Indiana was safely through with a blowout 47-10 final score. Here are the takeaways from this one:

Kurtis Rourke fantastic in return

Rourke’s first few drives in his return to the field were rocky, but that’s to be understandable. He was just 1-for-4 with a pair of 3-and-outs for Indiana as Michigan State took a 10-0 lead.

However, the veteran experience of Rourke allowed the QB to settle in and never panic.

Indiana’s 3rd drive covered an efficient 75 yards in 7 plays and ended with a touchdown pass from Rourke. The Hoosiers would go on to score 4 touchdowns on the 6 remaining drives of the half to carry a massive lead into the break after trailing early.

By the time he exited the game, Rourke was 19-for-29 for 263 yards and 4 touchdowns while leading Indiana to 47 points.

What’s in store for Indiana?

At 9-0, Indiana is on the doorstep of the unthinkable with 3 games left to go. With Penn State’s loss, the Hoosiers remain tied for the lead in the B1G with Oregon, but some tough games remain.

Indiana must face Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue to end the year, including the game against the Buckeyes coming in Columbus. Other factors will also decide the B1G race, but Indiana can control its own destiny by simply winning out.

The historical nature of struggling vs. Michigan is likely not a factor this season. The Wolverines are a mess on both sides of the ball and should be susceptible to Curt Cignetti’s squad.

Ohio State is a different story after the Buckeyes thoroughly dominated Penn State with the Buckeye defense and controlled the trenches on offense. Still, do not put anything past this Hoosier team if they stay focused.

Beyond the B1G race, one has to think Indiana’s case for the Playoff would stack up favorably if they finish the regular season with just one loss. For now, the focus will be on one game at a time entering Week 11.

Concern for Aidan Chiles

Chiles has produced a hot-and-cold season in his first as the starting QB for the Spartans. Some of that is a learning curve for the youngster as he did deliver a highlight-reel touchdown to Nick Marsh but also threw a pair of interceptions in defeat.

The larger concern is that Chiles left the game in the second half with an injury. He was quickly evaluated in the injury tent before heading to the locker room with what appeared to be an issue to his throwing wrist or hand.

Chiles was seen on the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the game but did not return with Tommy Schuster finishing out the performance.

While it has not all been positive from Chiles this season, getting snaps in meaningful games is paramount to his development with an eye toward 2025. Hopefully, he’ll get back on the field quickly because the Spartans are unlikely to get the benefit of extra practices during bowl season.