No. 1 Ohio State aims to keep its undefeated record alive Saturday when it hosts Rutgers, but two key wide receivers won't be a part of the action. Leading pass-catchers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are both expected to miss the game with lower-body injuries, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

It won't be much longer for Smith and Tate to see the field, however, as they're reportedly considered day-to-day.

While Smith and Tate are vital cogs to Ohio State's offense, the Buckeyes are 29.5-point favorites over the Scarlet Knights, so exercising caution before next week's rivalry game against No. 18 Michigan makes total sense.

Freshman quarterback Julian Sayin still has plenty of weapons at his disposal against Greg Schiano and Co. Max Klare is an ascending player at tight end with five catches each of the last two weeks. The running game has also been humming as Bo Jackson leads the way with 725 yards on 6.6 yards per carry.

Ohio State is aiming to become the first team since Georgia in 2021 and 2022 to win consecutive national titles. The Buckeyes will need their offense at full strength to pull it off, so Smith and Tate's returns will be crucial.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Will Ohio State WRs Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate play Week 13?

Reporting by Wajih AlBaroudi, For The Win / For The Win

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