UNLV football is here.

This is not a dream. The dark days are over. The Scarlet and Gray are 10-2, the Fremont Cannon is red and the roster is loaded. The fact is, UNLV is good and is prepared to stay that way, as evidenced by the team’s dominant 38-14 victory over UNR in the regular-season finale at Allegiant Stadium.

The other shoe won’t fall off. Longtime fans of one of the most downtrodden programs in the country can feel safe celebrating and applauding the team’s success.

In two years under coach Barry Odom, the program has gone from excuses, moral victories and real defeats to a team that is back in the Mountain West championship game for the second straight year – with a chance to advance to the College Football Playoff.

UNLV’s fourth straight win was never in doubt – Hajj-Malik Williams threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kaleo Ballungay on the game’s first possession, and linebacker Jackson Woodard fumbled a fumble in the end zone to make it 24 :7 header advantage at half time. From that point on, it was all about planning travel for Friday’s MWC title rematch at Boise State.

Beleaguered UNLV fans still worried and waiting to be disappointed can take solace in the fact that Odom once shared their worries. Before taking the job two years ago, Odom wondered whether the program had the resources to compete and whether the fan base had the bandwidth to support a winner.

With a 19-7 record in two seasons and back-to-back league championship appearances, Odom has proven to himself – and the entire Las Vegas community – that UNLV is capable of winning big.

“I was worried, was there enough room in Vegas for a college football team?” Odom said. “And the answer is a resounding ‘Absolutely yes.’ And our team, our players have created that.”

That became clear as Saturday’s contest turned into a long celebration over the course of the second half. With every touchdown added to the UNLV board, the showdown at Boise State became a reality.

As UNLV extended its lead to 31-7 early in the fourth quarter, the sideline seemed to realize its achievement. During the break, the players came onto the field to dance while the stadium lights dimmed and the 40,122 spectators cheered them on.

Odom enjoyed the spectacle.

“I want to thank those who came tonight,” Odom said. “Over forty thousand, the second largest attendance ever at Allegiant. You start the fourth quarter with the light show, that was great and I’m very, very grateful for that.”

Williams delivered one of his best performances of the season, passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 104 yards and a score. With six tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and his fumble recovery touchdown, Woodard solidified his reputation as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

Woodard played under Odom at Arkansas while he was defensive coordinator there, and he praised his coach for always treating UNLV as a football program that can and should win.

“That’s why I followed him,” Woodard said. “I knew he would be a winner. When I came here I didn’t even think about losing – I knew we would win.”

As the Fremont Cannon was rolled onto the field, the UNLV players gathered to celebrate for a fitting amount of time before turning their attention to next week’s big game.

In some ways, overtaking UNR and securing a spot in the Mountain West championship was the ultimate victory in the battle for the cannon, as the trophy itself — as meaningful as it is to the team — took a backseat to larger goals has moved. Once the clock hit zero, UNR ceased to be a rival and became an afterthought while UNLV moved on to more important tasks.

It’s hard to believe that UNLV has become a team that wants to compete for the conference championship, but for players like Woodard, that’s all he’s known in his two years in Las Vegas.

“That was our goal,” Woodard said. “It’s a standard of this program and now we have to finish it. It’s in our hands. We are here. Let’s do it.”

And now UNLV moves on to the biggest game in program history. The Scarlet and Gray are currently ranked No. 22 in the College Football Playoff rankings and are expected to move up when the next rankings are announced on Tuesday. If they can beat No. 11 Boise State, UNLV will become the highest-seeded Group 5 champion and earn an automatic bid to the 12-team playoff field.

It would be an incredible, almost unbelievable feat, but Williams said he and his teammates would apply the same winning formula that got them this far to the title game.

“Every day you have to put your head down,” Williams said. “It’s about having the vision to do your business right here. And when you do that, you celebrate and win when you look up. How did you end up with a ten-win season? Just day by day.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or (email protected). Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.