When Curtis Luke was looking for a place to continue his NCAA football career after five seasons at Ohio State last December, he wanted to focus on winning in what would be his final college season and final chance to impress NFL scouts.

So on the surface, his decision to transfer to Indiana University seemed odd, considering that Big Ten schools have averaged fewer than five wins per season from 2017 through 2023.

But Luke had faith that new he

ad coach Kurt Signetti, who started playing big games as soon as he arrived in Bloomington from James Madison University in Virginia last November, could back him up.

Did you know that Luke, the 6-foot-5 quarterback from Oakville, Ont. and younger brother of BC Lions quarterback Nathan Luke, was named a transfer portal class honoree?

The No. 16 Hoosiers are 6-0 for the first time since 1967 and host 5-1 Nebraska on Saturday for a realistic shot at finishing the season as part of college football's first 12-team playoff class.

"It was a crazy first half," Luke said. "A lot of people asked me if I was surprised. I wouldn't say I was surprised, but I certainly didn't say we were going to have the season we've had. But there's a lot of special talent here and I knew we could make a noise."

That noise includes Luke's return to the NFL radar following season-ending ACL surgery in 2022 and a disappointing 2023 season in Ohio.

So far this season, Luke has thrown for 1,752 yards, 13th in Division I, with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His ESPN passer rating is the fourth-highest in college football. His completion percentage of 73.8 ranks third.

There was a recent NFL primetime game shoutout from broadcaster Joe Buck, and he's currently the 11th best odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

“He’s like an old, gray NFL vet who’s been to a couple Pro Bowls, played thousands of snaps and knows how to handle every situation and circumstance,” Signetti said this week. “He’s ready.”

Luke credits his smooth transition to Mid-American Conference football to overcoming the need to be perfect and focusing on getting the ball into the hands of playmakers. He also credits quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri, a former Saskatchewan Roughrider, with helping him improve his field of vision to build confidence.

“I’ve definitely grown as a player throughout my career. Every year I’ve taken steps to become a better player, both physically and mentally,” Luke says. “This year in particular I’ve become a lot stronger mentally. Coach Tino has really opened my eyes to seeing the pitch in different ways.

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