Is this USC football team still a top contender in the Pac-12 South, as was forecasted in the preseason, despite some early setbacks and struggles?

Are these Trojans the ones who got shellacked at home by Stanford and Oregon State, or the ones who rolled over Washington State and Colorado on the road? Or is the reality somewhere in between?

Did this team figure out some things on offense last week in Boulder, Colo., continuing to lean on Keaontay Ingram as a productive lead back and getting QB Kedon Slovis' most complete game of the season? Or was it mostly a product of the opponent (ditto for the Trojans' strong defensive performance)?

It sure seems like a lot more is going to be learned about USC (3-2, 2-2 Pac-12) this Saturday evening against Utah (2-2, 1-0) in the Coliseum (5 p.m. PT on Fox).

RELATED: Podcast: Talking USC coaching search with the L.A. Times' Brady McCollough and takeaways from Colorado with Ryan Kartje | A closer look at the other side of the USC-Utah matchup with Ute Nation's Alex Markham

Then again, the same could be said for the Utes.

Utah has wins over FCS-level Weber State and the same Washington State team that USC beat up, while losing to a pair of ranked teams in No. 10 BYU (26-17) and No. 25 San Diego State (33-31 in overtime).

Add in the unquantifiable variable of Utah playing for the first time since the shooting death of safety Aaron Lowe two weeks ago and it's hard to know what to expect of the Utes either.

“That’s exactly the sentiment that the leadership council said is the best way to heal and the best way to get through this together is to get back to doing what they love and one of the main reasons why they’re here,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said, according to the Associated Press. “That’s getting back to some sense of normalcy, but at the same time you never put it out of your mind. But it’s just a therapy in and of itself, I guess you could say, getting back on the field.”

The Utes' situation is a sensitive one of far greater weight than the Trojans' pure erratic inconsistency, but either way this is a hard matchup to size up.

The oddsmakers have pegged USC as 2.5-point favorites, but the Trojans have been favored in every game so far and that hasn't exactly correlated to the results.

USC and Utah were picked in the preseason Pac-12 media poll to finish 1-2 in the South division, but so far it's No. 22 Arizona State (4-1, 2-0) in the driver's seat early in the race.

This is a big one for the Trojans and Utes and a game that could prove to be a compass for where their respective seasons are heading.

As we do each week, the TrojanSports.com staff tries to break it all down with our perspective and predictions on the matchup.

1. This game is going to tell us a lot -- how much do you believe in the Trojans as Pac-12 South contenders?

Ryan Young: "I certainly wouldn't bet on it, but I also wouldn't bet against it just yet. I really do think there is plenty to be learned from this game. No matter what Utah's early results show, the Utes' brand of physical football is a good gauge for this Trojans team. The blowout win at Washington State clearly revealed nothing as Oregon State dominated USC a week later, and I'm also taking the comfortable win at Colorado for what it was -- merely taking care of business against a weak opponent. This may not be peak Utah football, but the Utes are a formidable opponent -- just like Stanford and Oregon State were. If the Trojans show something Saturday, then I'll continue to believe a run to the division title is at least possible. If they take a third conference loss, it's over. So I'd prefer to answer this question a couple days from now, but not to dodge it, I'll say I have conditional, tepid and tenuous belief."

Tajwar Khandaker: "I think the Trojans have a shot at the Pac-12 South title, and that reflects my opinions of the division more than it reflects any kind of belief in this USC team. I don’t believe that either UCLA or ASU are particularly complete teams, and I expect both to drop a few more games on the road to December. The Trojans are capable of beating either, or both. Even still, with two losses in their back pocket USC definitely has an uphill battle to fight for a chance at the conference title game. I think it’s more likely than not that either UCLA or ASU represents the division, but USC is squarely in the race still."

2. We got a tease of freshman TE Michael Trigg's potential last week. What are you expecting from him over the final seven games?

Young: "This is a much easier one to answer. I said it back in the preseason that I thought by the end of the season Trigg could be the Trojans' No. 2 or No. 3 option in the passing game. His 46-yard touchdown last week only further affirmed that belief for me. It's taken some time for him to gain confidence in the playbook and in the transition to college football, but I do believe we saw a true breakout last week and the start of what is to come. I think he averages somewhere around 4 catches and 65 yards over the final seven games, which would make him a clear top 3 option with Drake London continuing to dominate targets. Give me all the Trigg stock I can get."