Just my opinion on those flight you mention, specifically the SMF-SFO, that to me will be your biggest joker.
1. The EMB 120 is very often late, sometime very very late, make sure you can switch to an earlier flight if necessary. And sometimes cancellations.
2. As mentioned earlier the weather at SFO is hard to predict. In the winter time you also sometimes get fog at SMF or other places the EMB120 flys.

I am not trying to discourage you from doing the flight, but book plenty of connection time @ SFO.

Past experience have, left me at a hotel @ SMF, left me at a hotel @ SFO, driven from SMF to SFO, and last but not least taxied (yes UA put me in a cab) from SMF to SFO. These are not single occurrences.

I have not had problems in DEN but have coworkers who always get stuck due to weather.