Despite the preseason polls and long odds in Las Vegas that stacked up against Fresno State winning the Mountain West, it was not that far-fetched to envision the Bulldogs reaching the fourth week of the conference football season and a matchup against two-time defending champion San Diego State near the top of the West Division.
It started with the schedule, more manageable this season instead of the back-to-back road games that started each of the past two seasons.
And Fresno State took care of its business, beating two programs in rebuilding modes similar to the Bulldogs (Nevada at home, San Jose State on the road).