Compared to past weeks action, week nine of the college football season looks to be as boring as it can come on paper, with only two games featuring ranked opponents.

The Pac-12 will provide the most excitement this week, as every game features an opponent with a legitimate shot to reach the conference championship game. No contest will be bigger than the battle between southern division opponents USC and Utah.

Here are the top five games to watch this weekend with the predicted winners in bold:

1) No. 19 Utah vs. No. 20 USC (7 p.m. Fox Sports One): Simply put, neither USC nor Utah can afford to lose this game. The Utes may have the slight advantage because they’re at home, but uncertainty as to who the starting quarterback is plays right into USC’s fast and physical defense. Cody Kessler and Nelson Agholor are playing like one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the country.

2) No. 24 LSU vs. No. 3 Ole Miss (4:15 p.m. ESPN): The Tigers have struggled this season and no one is expecting them to win. But it’s still a top-25 matchup, and if anything is a certainty, it’s that LSU has enough talent to matchup against Ole Miss. In the end though, Bo Wallace announces himself as a sure-fire Heisman candidate in leading Ole Miss and its vaunted defense to victory.

3) Oklahoma State vs. No. 22 West Virginia (12:30 p.m. ESPN): The Mountaineers, one week after their upset to then No. 5 Baylor, control their own destiny in the Big-12 while the Cowboys need a win to stay alive in the conference race.

4) Penn State vs. No. 13 Ohio State (5 p.m. ABC): Penn State’s new head coach James Franklin is looking for his first statement victory, but J.T. Barrett and Ohio State have better things on their mind.

5) Washington vs. No. 13 Arizona State (7:45 p.m. ESPN): The Sun Devils might get starting quarterback Taylor Kelly back in time for this game, but Shaq Thompson and company are out for revenge after being humiliated by Oregon last week.

Every week, the Emerald will feature a different sports bar from the Eugene/Springfield area where students can watch the games. This week, it is Side Bar restaurant and bar in Eugene.

Although Side Bar is located quite a few miles away from campus, the variety of quality food combined with the amount of televisions makes it one of Eugene’s most popular sports entertainment areas.

Here are the top-five reasons to check out Side Bar this week:

1) You can’t go wrong with a bar that features more than 25 TVs, so no matter what, every game available can be seen.

2) Thursday is “taco and trivia night” — the tacos are phenomenally good and when mixed with trivia and $5 margaritas, the night is sure to be a blast.

3) Side Bar rents out a private room called the Copa room and combined with a private bartender and secret entrance, it’s a night out with friends you may, or may not remember, yet always cherish.

4) The “Jolly Rancher” drinks are lethal, yet so tasty (grape is clearly the best).

5) The prime rib special, when available, is by far the best deal around (call ahead to make sure they aren’t sold out).

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @ryan_kostecka