College Football Week 13 Picks, Preview: What To Expect In Rutgers-OSU, More

We're entering the penultimate week of the regular season, and we might have our first de facto College Football Playoff game this weekend.

The battle between No. 15 USC and No. 7 Oregon in Eugene seems likely to determine a spot in the CFP. A win for USC would seemingly put it in the top 10, while Oregon would improve to 10-1 with a victory and strengthen its chances to make the 12-team field.

Elsewhere, there are some other programs aiming to move a step closer to making the CFP or clinching a spot in their conference's title game this weekend. The game I'll be at is among that group, as Rutgers and No. 1 Ohio State battle in Columbus on "Big Noon Saturday." Meanwhile, "Big Noon Kickoff" will be at BYU-Cincinnati for a major Big 12 tilt.

Here's my preview of the Rutgers-Ohio State game and my picks for the other top games of the weekend:

There are some health questions surrounding Ohio State, namely with its two best offensive players: wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. Both guys have been a little banged up, with Tate missing the past two games and Smith only playing a little bit against UCLA last week before being seen limping off the field. We're told that this is somewhat precautionary, and I do believe that, but their statuses for this game are unclear. 

That means we might see a lot of young players for Ohio State. Quincy Porter, who Smith has told me is the next great Ohio State wide receiver, might get some opportunities Saturday. Brandon Inniss will have to step up at receiver. OSU has one of the deepest and best wide receiver rooms in the nation, and we might get to see it at full force.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin has played some of the best football in the entire country. He's on pace