THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016

Idaho, Washington State, Eastern Washington, Boise State and the University of Washington are all enjoying winning seasons — and some are in the midst of exceptional seasons in college football.

How often can you say that?

Well, we’ll check on that in a moment.

Heading into Saturday’s games, Idaho was 5-4, Washington State 7-2, Eastern Washington 8-1, Boise State 8-1 and Washington 9-0.

Idaho in on track to head to a bowl game for the first time since 2009, and only the third time ever. Eastern Washington is poised to make another deep run in the FCS playoffs, and Boise State still has hopes for a Mountain West championship and a spot in a prestigious bowl.

WSU and U-Dub are battling for the Pac-12 North title, and a spot in the conference title game — to be determined in the Apple Cup in two weeks.

The Huskies, who have made huge strides under third-year head coach Chris Petersen, had a chance to land one of the four coveted berths in the College Football Playoff — that is, unless USC messed things up by beating U-Dub in Seattle on Saturday night.

Who’da thunkit?

THE EASY answer to the above-mentioned question is to go back and look at the successful seasons Idaho has had since moving up to what used to be called NCAA Division I in 1996, and use that as a starting point.

In 2009, Idaho finished 8-5 after a memorable victory in the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise.

And the others that year?

WSU finished 1-11, capped by a 30-0 loss to the Huskies in Seattle in the Apple Cup.

Washington, the week after beating the Cougs, toppled California but still stayed home for the holidays with a 5-6 record.

Eastern finished 8-4 after a loss at Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the FBS playoffs.

Boise State went 14-0. Three years after its biblical win in the Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos returned to Glendale, Ariz., and beat TCU to cap their perfect season.

In 2010, Idaho finished 6-7, one win away from a second straight bowl berth.

WSU “improved” to 2-10, losing by a touchdown to the Huskies in the Apple Cup.

Washington finished 7-6 with four straight victories, the final one coming over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.

Eastern went 13-2 and capped its best season ever by beating Delaware in the FCS championship game.

Boise State nearly made it back-to-back perfect seasons. But a late-season loss to Nevada spoiled those plans, but the Broncos still ended up 12-1 after throttling Utah 26-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

IN 1998, Idaho made it to a bowl for the first time, and beat Southern Miss in the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise to finish 9-3.

Back then, Boise State wasn’t yet what Boise State is now in football. The Broncos finished 6-5 and did not make it to a bowl game. In their final game, the Vandals beat them 36-35 at Boise to win the Big West title.

In ’98, WSU was a year removed from an appearance in the Rose Bowl. The Cougs lost their final eight games and wound up 3-8.

The Huskies rode that Apple Cup win over the Cougs to a berth in a bowl game in Hawaii, where U-Dub lost big to Air Force and finished 6-6.

Eastern finished 5-6. In its season opener, the Eags lost 31-14 to Idaho in Moscow.

In 1996, the first year for Idaho and Boise State in Division I, Idaho finished 6-5, capped by a 64-19 pummeling of Boise State (note to younger readers — things were different then).

Boise State was 2-10.

Washington State dropped its last four games and finished 5-6.

Washington went 9-3, losing to Colorado in the Holiday Bowl.

EWU started off 6-2 but dropped its final three games, including a nonconference tilt at Idaho, to finish 6-5.

IN 1999, Idaho finished 7-4, capped by a 45-14 loss to Boise State in a game played at Martin Stadium in Pullman (like I said, things were different then).

Boise State went on to beat Louisville in the Humanitarian Bowl, and finished 10-3.

WSU finished 3-9, but at least got to travel to Hawaii for the season finale, and won 22-14.

The Huskies went 7-5, losing to Kansas State in the Holiday Bowl.

EWU was 7-4.

So there you have it. After an interesting trip down memory lane, this will be the first season since Idaho and Boise State moved up to FBS in 1996 that Idaho, BSU, WSU, EWU and U-Dub all boast a winning record in the same season.

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.