What comes next for Rourke after CFP loss to Notre Dame?

Kurtis Rourke walked off the field at Notre Dame Stadium, his final NCAA game in the rear-view mirror, having made the most of his time as a college football quarterback. 

In going from Holy Trinity Secondary School in Oakville, Ont. to Ohio University, where he backed up big brother, Nathan, to becoming the Mid-American Conference player of the year and to Indiana as starting quarterback in the first ever 12-team playoff format, Rourke experienced it all. 

Where it goes from here is a fascinating question.

But first some takes on his final college game, a 27-17 loss at Notre Dame that wasn't nearly as close as the final score suggests. The same could be said for Rourke's final numbers – 20 of 33 for 215 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception – which got a huge jolt from two late-game touchdown drives that began after the Fighting Irish established a four-score lead. 

When Indiana needed to score, they couldn't. 

Not during the first half when an interception in Notre Dame territory was immediately turned into a red-zone interception for Rourke. And not during the second half when, with a comeback still within reach, the Hoosiers mounted a total of five yards of offence on their first three drives. 

Those results supported a narrative going into this game that Indiana's offence, which had the highest points per game average among the 12 playoff teams, was largely the product of a soft schedule. And when tested against the best defences in college football, it wouldn't stand up. 

That was certainly the case when the Hoosiers fell 38-15 on Nov. 23 to Ohio State and its top-ranked defence. And in many ways their visit to South Bend felt like an extension of that game. 

They couldn't run consistently on early downs, resulting in an average third-down distance of 8.4 yards through the first three-and-a half quarters of the game. When Rourke went to throw, he found receivers who struggled to get separation from elite coverage, forcing him to be pin-point accurate with HIS throws, which he was not. 

It was a game where Notre Dame was just faster, stronger, quicker and more dominant wherever they had to be, whether it was winning at the line of scrimmage to put pressure on Rourke or shaking off tackles on offence near the line of scrimmage, which their playmakers did all night. 

Notre Dame and Indiana are built very differently and the Fighting Irish had two advantages going into this game besides home field. For one, they'd been far more battle-tested against good teams. And they weren't going to have to rely on a quarterback having a big day to win it for them. 

Indiana probably would, which is a tall order against the only defence that kept opposing passers to under a 50 per cent completion percentage this past season. 

The Hoosiers needed to get up early and force Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard to beat them with his arm. 

They had the chance to do that when Notre Dame turned the ball over on its side of the field on its first possession. 

Rourke's interception came with the consolation that Indiana had given the Irish the ball on their own 2-yard line. 

One play later, however, Jeremiyah Love broke free for a 98-yard run, completing a 14-point swing, the kind from which you don't often come back playing at Notre Dame. 

That big and critical play aside, Indiana's defence was far less overmatched than was their offence. For all but one drive during the first three quarters, the offence had no answers. And if there was one thing Rourke really could have used in a game like this, it is the ability to make plays out of structure.

That part of his game didn't show itself at all. 

When he tried to escape pressure, he lacked the dynamic qualities to make something out of nothing. Or to put it more descriptively, he could have used a Josh Allen moment or two. So, what does this mean for Rourke's future? 

Leading into this game, Rourke has been projected by many as a Day 3 (rounds four through seven) NFL Draft pick. That's probably still the case today. 

His performance against Notre Dame may not so much sink his draft stock as much as it might simply erase any chance of him moving up to Day 2. 

Rourke's off-season narrative isn't hard to predict, given the wide gap in productivity between his games versus Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan and all others. 

Those three teams likely have more future NFL defensive starters among them than Indiana's other 11 opponents combined. The question is going to be whether Rourke has the makeup to succeed against NFL-calibre players.

The answer to that question will largely dictate what sort of opportunity he gets at the next level. 

The NFL off-season for draft-eligible players is packed with opportunities for them to help or hurt their respective stocks. Rourke will make a good impression on teams and his 6-foot-5 frame and throwing skills. 

But the path may be a little tougher than it would have been had he found a way to turn in an impressive performance against an elite defence. 

Debating the NFL-worthiness of a Canadian quarterback is not something that happened often until the Rourke brothers came along. 

Nathan learned the hard way how difficult it can be to find the opportunity and the environment for success in the NFL. He never found right combination. 

Now, it's Kurtis' turn. 

And like in the case of Nathan, his home country will stand back and watch with love and support and arms wide open if he ever wants to come home.