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USC and Colorado will both enter the Coliseum on Saturday evening with plenty to prove, yet after very different starts to the season and amidst very different vibes within the fan base.

The Trojans (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12) have had their stumbles and even the wins have tested the blood pressure of the fan base, but they'll get a chance to show how effectively they used their bye last week in addressing their issues.

No. 19/18 Colorado (5-0, 2-0), meanwhile, has done all that could be expected through the first part of the season, winning its first five games and establishing excitement for its dynamic offense.

But the Buffaloes haven't truly been tested, like most expect they will this week. Their wins have come against Colorado State (45-13), on the road against a winless Nebraska team (33-28), against New Hampshire (45-14), against winless UCLA (38-16) and against Arizona State (28-21).

The TrojanSports.com staff weighs in with its picks, perspective and predictions for the Pac-12 South showdown:

Adam Maya: I think that's what we'll learn this week. There seems to be a fairly wide range of possibilities given its schedule thus far and its pedigree, though I doubt the Buffaloes are straight up bad. They would seem to be good enough to give USC a game, and possibly deliver an upset, but we've seen faux-contenders come to the Coliseum in the past and show their true colors (think Utah in 2015, ASU in 2016 and Stanford -- in terms of the national picture -- in 2017). So the jury is still out but could reach a verdict on Saturday. I happen to think Colorado is good.

Ryan Young: I'm more believer than skeptic, but sure, I think Colorado still has plenty to prove. The Buffaloes have totally handled their business to this point, which is all a team can do, even if the schedule includes the likes of Colorado State, a bad Nebraska team (on the road, at least), New Hampshire and a winless UCLA team. The 28-21 win over Arizona State last week was the best one yet, and Colorado showed again that it's got a very dangerous offense with 494 yards in that game. Laviska Shenault Jr. scored four touchdowns in that win (two receiving, two rushing), and I am a full believer in his status as one of college football's most exciting players.

Tajwar Khandaker: I think this Colorado team belongs about exactly where it’s ranked right now, just inside the Top 20. The offense is near elite, they have NFL caliber playmakers at almost every position and Mike MacIntyre’s creative schemes really maximize the Buffaloes' ability. We’ve seen quarterback Steven Montez play in the conference for three years now, and he’s developed into a legit NFL talent -- come draft season, I think he’ll be a big riser. I don’t need to talk about Laviska Shenault more than I already have, but he’s easily one of if not the most dangerous weapon in the country. Running back Travon McMillian is no joke either. He’s toting the ball at 6.3 yard per carry for over 500 yards on the season so far. Their defense is a little less impressive -- they haven’t played a truly dangerous offense yet so there isn’t a strong benchmark to judge them by. Overall, this is an explosive, offense-oriented team that can put points on the board regardless of the competition, I think. We’ll have to see if they can actually stop anyone.

Adam: Offensive performance, and that goes for all parties involved. I think every position group on that side of the ball, including those who lead it, stand to improve. Two full weeks should have provided them the time to solve at least some of the dysfunction that has plagued this offense for most of the past year and a half. If not, USC is in for a long season.

Ryan: General organization from start to finish. To me, the two most concerning elements from the first part of the season were the disparity in play from one half to another for this team and -- with exception to the Washington State game -- a seeming inability to stem the tide once things go awry. The Trojans haven't truly taken care of business yet. Even the wins have looked more difficult than they probably should have based on either the competition or the opportunities within the game. If this team is going to reach its full potential, there would seem no more conducive time for that to happen than at home coming off a bye. I'm also very interested to see the offensive game plan after offensive coordinator Tee Martin talked this week about what he learned from self-scouting the film from the first five games, identifying both the Trojans' predictable trends and the facets of the playbook they've yet to utilize.

Tajwar: Consistency. Whether it was the offensive line disappearing for quarters at a time, receivers forgetting how to catch or the defense suddenly losing its ability to play proper coverage after two good downs, lack of consistency across the board has been the biggest issue for the Trojans this year. Every time it looks like a part of the team is playing better than the week before, another wheel falls off the bus as a different unit unexpectedly starts to struggle. This is a team without an identity at this point. They need to establish what they’re good at, hammer it home every game and work to cover up for their recognizable and long-term weaknesses. We’ll see if the bye helped them solidify that.

Adam: I never know. Even though I believe the Trojans will look to establish the run early, it's hard to single out a back. One week Vavae Malepeai runs for a career-high 78 yards, the next he gets two carries against a porous Arizona run defense. Can my answer be the offensive line as a whole? It's the unit I trust the least on the entire team. But maybe, just maybe, they're jelling. They're shown progress the past two games and are due for a good game.

Ryan: I'm going back to the well again -- Michael Pittman. He's looked great in practice this week, playing with a confident swagger, and still seems due for a huge game. I think the identity for this offense should be to establish and lean on the run game and then be aggressive in the downfield passing attack. JT Daniels has confidence in taking those deep shots, and his chemistry with Pittman should be ever improving.

Tajwar: I think JT Daniels has his best game of the season so far on Saturday. He’s looked good the last week, and it seems like he’s starting to find a rhythm with the entire receiving corps, something we didn’t see at the start of the year. The offensive line has been giving him clean pockets to work from recently, letting him play much more freely than he did against Stanford and Texas, and I don’t think Colorado’s front seven is intimidating enough to change that this week barring a major setback from the line. Just like against Washington State, he’ll be set to out duel a gunslinging quarterback and a high-powered offense, and I think just as he did then he’ll respond to the call with enthusiasm. That game was easily his best of the season, and I think the stage is set for him to light it up on national TV this weekend.

Adam: Nothing less than a blowout -- something of the 30-point variety. A shutout would be shockingly sweet (but unrealistic for this defense against that offense). My feeling is one win isn't really going to move the needle all that much regardless. These fans have seen too much for too long now to not be skeptical of the future. It's unfortunate considering how promising things were as recently as last January. A win Saturday vaults the Trojans to the forefront of the Pac-12 South race. But it's one that not every fan is interested in seeing them run anymore because of a somewhat brutal September. USC will have to win out, or come really close to doing so, for the current regime to regain support.

Ryan: Adam is spot-on there. I think it's going to be hard to turn the tide for many within the fanbase at this point short of winning out the rest of the schedule. But I do think the more optimistic supporters could take some real relief and encouragement from a clean, thorough and impressive offensive showing in a comfortable win. JT Daniels is not only the quarterback of the present but also the extended future, so seeing this offense really start playing to its perceived potential would be a clear way to build excitement moving forward.

Tajwar: Honestly, for me, just winning this game would go a long way towards getting me to put my faith in this team. They’re playing a tough opponent with absolutely everything on the line. A win here would tell me a lot about this team. However, I don’t think a majority of the fanbase holds the kind of respect for Colorado that I do. so I’d say that it’ll take at least a two-score victory to get the Trojan faithful really fired up going forward.

Adam: I’m picking USC, 30-27, mainly because the Trojans are at home. That has made such a difference for them in the Helton era -- USC is 18-0 at the Coliseum since he took over. But wining has hardly felt like the foregone conclusion that it had previously been. The past five home games were tight going into the fourth quarter. If Colorado can protect Steven Montez and have even mild success running the ball, the Buffaloes will be in position to score the upset. This should be a great game that might come down to whoever wins the fourth quarter.

Ryan: If you heard us on the podcast Thursday, Adam and I almost came up with the same prediction independently. I have the Trojans winning 31-28. I do believe Colorado can pull the upset, and I don't yet have full confidence in this USC team to play a consistent and clean four quarters, but this is still a very talented roster and home field advantage gives them the edge, in my opinion.

Tajwar: Colorado, 35-28. I think USC has everything they need on paper to win this game, and I imagine that they’ll be able to put up a good fight. However, I just don’t think the defense is good enough at this point to slow down Colorado’s offense. The lack of pass rush and the inconsistency in the secondary worry me. I think the offense will be able to score points, but it’s hard for me to believe it’ll be enough to keep pace with Montez and Co.