From 1-4 to 10-4, their nine-game win streak is the third-longest active streak in the country.
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But according to the media poll released Wednesday, the Bulldogs are picked to finish third in the conference.
Boise State is the favorite to win the conference with 28 first-place votes.
Air Force is in second place in the standings, and the Bulldogs are third with five first-place votes.
There are plenty of new faces with the loss of offensive standouts like Jake Haener, Jordan Mims and Jalen Moreno-Cropper.
This year's team says they're ready to prove the doubters wrong.
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"The pieces definitely got to be filled, and I'm confident that they are filled and they will be filled, and now we got to have a little chip on the shoulder going into the first game," says senior linebacker Levelle Bailey.
"Whether they picked us first or last, we were going to go out there and play for a championship regardless, just like everyone in the conference is because at the end of the day, you got to go play the game regardless of where you're picked," says senior wide receiver Erik Brooks.
A pair of Bulldogs were picked to the preseason All-Mountain West team.
LA Bowl defensive MVP Devo Bridges earned the nod alongside senior offensive lineman Mose Vavao.