THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016

The last time Idaho, Washington State and Boise State each played in a bowl game in the same season was ... never.

That could change this fall.

Here’s a look at how those three college football teams — plus Eastern Washington — might fare this season:

Idaho: Almost since the moment last season ended, the Vandals have matter-of factly mentioned they are expecting to be bowl-eligible this season.

From the outside, that bold claim might appear a bit startling, seeing as though Idaho has played in just two bowl games since moving up to NCAA Division I (now FBS) in 1996.

The fact many people can remember the two years Idaho went bowling (1998 and 2009) without having to Google it says something in itself.

But in reality, Idaho probably should be a bowl-eligible team this year. The Vandals won four games last year and gave away two others with fourth-quarter collapses; otherwise, they could have been in a bowl last year.

As they say in the stock market, past performance does not guarantee future results. But Idaho has most of its top offensive players back, and enough weapons at quarterback Matt Linehan’s disposal that scoring points should not be a problem. But the defense needs to prevent them. If not, we could see a lot of basketball/arena football-type scores.

The Sun Belt schedule makers gave the Vandals a break this fall. Idaho avoids Arkansas State, which won the conference, and Georgia Southern, which finished third.

Just to be sure, it would help if Idaho can beat Montana State (coached by former Post Falls High coach and athletic director Jeff Choate) and UNLV in nonconference play. The Vandals’ other two pre-league games are at Washington and Washington State.

Let’s say Idaho finishes 7-5 — factoring in one unexpected slip-up in the Sun Belt somewhere along the way.

Washington State: Crazy as it may sound, if the Cougars can beat Oregon at home to open Pac-12 play, and win at Stanford the following week, WSU could run the table in conference.

Now, that’s not going to happen, because while the Pac-12 is not at the level of the storied SEC, the conference juggernaut is a tough one to make it through unscathed, whether the league is considered “up” or “down” in any particular year.

First things first, anyway.

Playing at Boise State in Week 2 — the first time the teams have met since 2001, when WSU won 41-20 in Boise — will be a big brother/little brother-type battle. A loss in Bronco-land would not be the end of the world for the Cougars, but slipping up in the opener vs. Eastern Washington AND losing in Boise the following week might be a 1-2 punch WSU never recovers from.

The WSU-Boise game is a very intriguing matchup — and it might be a bigger game for the Cougars than the Broncos.

We’ll say WSU wins at Boise, and goes on to finish 10-2. Don’t ask me who the two losses will be to.

Boise State: The Broncos are looking to bounce back from a down year by lofty Boise State standards — a 9-4 finish, which included almost unspeakable home losses to New Mexico State and Air Force in Mountain West Conference play.

That shouldn’t happen this year, though this year’s results will be somewhat telling as to whether some of the other top Mountain West teams are catching up to Boise State, or the Broncos have dropped a notch or two down to the level of the other top MWC squads.

The WSU game doesn’t figure to have an impact on Boise State’s bowl eligibility — but it might be a nice statement win for a program that hasn’t had one in a while — after routinely notching with regularity.

After going 0-2 against the state of Utah last year, Boise State gets Utah State and BYU at home this year.

We’ll put the Broncos down for 11-1, and a spot in the conference title game.

Eastern Washington: After a run of great quarterbacks in Cheney for years, the Eagles had some uncertainty at the position last year, and finished 6-5 and missed the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2011.

This year, there’s still some question at QB. Whoever it ends up being will at least have star receiver Cooper Kupp to throw to.

At least in FCS, teams like Eastern aren’t punished by taking on FBS schools — the Eags open at Washington State this year. North Dakota State, which EWU plays in Week 2 and has won the last hundred or so FCS titles, has mulled a move up to FBS. Northern Iowa visits the following week to close out a tougher-than-usual nonconference schedule for the Eags.

EWU travels to the Montana State Choates on Oct. 22, then hosts Montana the following Saturday. The Eags’ playoff hopes may come down to their game at Portland State in the regular season finale — on a Friday night, no less.

We’ll put the Eags down to 7-4 — with a victory at Portland State to eke into the FCS playoffs.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.