This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Once the University of Utah joined the Pac-12, this became the question the Utes hoped would never be answered: When will the novelty wear off?

That's not even worth asking anymore.

In their fourth year of Pac-12 membership, the Utes have made Saturday's football game vs. USC at Rice-Eccles Stadium important because of where they stand in the conference, not just because the Trojans are coming to town.

And as long as the Utes can stay in the Pac-12 South race, November home games with Oregon and Arizona also will present big opportunities in a showcase setting. This is exactly what Ute followers wished for when the program entered the league: high-profile, meaningful games against brand-name programs, with a genuine chance to win.

These games represent Utah's opportunity to become vital in the Power 5 world. A tradeoff comes into play, though. The Utes want all of us to move past the stage of just believing it is cool just to have USC come here, to go beyond wondering if the famous Trojan band would play at Rice-Eccles (a mini-version in 2012, but in full regalia!) and if members of the iconic USC song leader squad would be on the sideline (four of them!).

Now, the Utes have to establish themselves in the Pac-12 South. Even after this month's win at UCLA, Utah is 5-11 against divisional rivals, so thank goodness for Colorado.

The South is Utah's frame of reference — not BYU. Rejoicing in the troubles of others has its limits, anyway. True relevance can come only from intra-divisional success. That's how Utah should be viewed from the outside, and that's how the program must judge itself.

In 2014, the Utes are showing signs of succeeding in this conference in their own style. This is a team with substance and toughness, built in the Kyle Whittingham image and winning with defense, special teams and a running game. The reality is that formula is not quite good enough for what lies ahead of Utah, with four opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25, plus Stanford.

In three conference games, the Utes have averaged 109 passing yards. What is this, the wishbone era? Utah won two of those games, one in double overtime and the other via a field goal in the last minute, but that success is not sustainable in the absence of a passing game.

Whittingham cites a theory that rushing yards are more valuable than passing yards in football, and Devontae Booker has been outstanding as a junior college transfer who finally took over the tailback position. He kept telling the coaches what he could do with more carries, and "I guess they listened to me," he said.

But he'll need some help from a quarterback, at some point. If Travis Wilson can throw the ball efficiently and Kendal Thompson can supply a change-up dimension with his running ability, the offense's growth just might enable the Utes to contend for the South title.

If not, winning any one of the next five games will be an achievement. Against Power 5 defenses (including Michigan), the Utes have produced 286, 357, 342 and 315 total yards, with two of their seven offensive touchdowns in those games coming in overtime at Oregon State.

Regardless of how well the defense plays, Utah will have to generate more offense to beat USC, Arizona State or Oregon in the next three games. Yet the Utes already are doing enough to be ranked No. 19 and have people talking about them in the South, where the top five teams appear to be even. They're creating interest and gaining credibility.

The Utes are doing more than just wearing those nice patches on their uniforms these days. They're acting like a Pac-12 football team. If they start throwing and catching the ball with any degree of proficiency, they'll be playing the role even better.

Twitter: @tribkurt