We’re down to the final weekend of the 2018 CFL season! It’s been a treat to write about this crazy, strange league once again for you this year, and I look forward to checking in with you one final time next week before I take my annual December sabbatical. With Division finals now complete, we’re down to the 106th Grey Cup championship game taking place in Edmonton, Alberta; this is the fifth time that the Eskimos have hosted the game, with the four previous matchups taking place in 2010, 2002, 1997, and 1984. The forecast for the game is expected to be, once again, a bitterly cold matchup, with the temperature projected for the day between -5 and -7 degrees Celsius (22 to 19 degrees Fahrenheit) with a wind chill making the temp feel closer to -10 degrees (14 F). Classic CFL weather, truly. The halftime show is someone named Alessia Cara, who, despite my profession as a music teacher, I have never heard of nor heard her music, so I have no idea what constituted that choice by the league. Although apparently she’s won a Grammy, based on a quick Google search I just did, so maybe there are people who are actually fans? I dunno. I’m only in my twenties and I’m still a crusty old fuck half the time anyhow, it seems.

Onto the games!

DIVISION FINAL RECAPS

EAST DIVISION FINAL

(2) Hamilton 27 vs. (1) Ottawa 46: What an incredible offensive performance by the REDBLACKS; Trevor Harris set a CFL playoff record with six touchdown passes in a single game, and he slung the ball around to ten different receivers in this game. Diontae Spencer had two TD catches, while four others each had one, including Canadian rookie Marco Dubois, who scored his first-ever CFL major. Amazingly, it’s difficult to overstate just how good Harris was; while the statline alone is impressive – 29-32 for 367 yards and 6 TDs – it’s also in how the offense was truly unstoppable while out on the field. Harris had poise and command and answered basically all doubters about his ability to shine in big games. With six scores, Harris also passes Ottawa Rough Riders legend Russ Jackson as the single-game playoff touchdowns leader. Jackson’s Rough Riders also scored six in a game, but Jackson only threw four of those, as he was benched for the final frame. On the flip side, Hamilton looked thoroughly outclassed on all sides – Jeremiah Masoli threw three picks, two of which were back-breaking for the Ti-Cats, and his O-line crumbled around him. The defensive secondary was blowing coverages all game long – this team looked remarkably different than the one that dismantled the BC Lions last week. At any rate, with the loss, Hamilton is now 0-4 against Ottawa in 2018, and also is 0-8 against Calgary, Saskatchewan and the REDBLACKS – the three top teams in the league. At any rate, for someone with a nomination for Most Outstanding Player, Jeremiah Masoli wilted when the team needed him most – and until he can show he can win games against good teams, it’ll  be tough to take him seriously as an MOP candidate.

PICK: Ottawa

RESULT: Ottawa

WEST DIVISION FINAL

(3) Winnipeg 14 vs. (1) Calgary 22: Eric Rogers and Bo Levi Mitchell proved to be the difference-makers for the Stamps, who topped the Bombers in this one. Mitchell and Rogers had some excellent chemistry going all evening, with three touchdown passes from quarterback to receiver. A healthy Rogers proved to be invaluable for Calgary, who have had a lot of injuries to their receiving corps this season. Winnipeg jumped out to an early 6-0 lead from a couple of field goals from Justin Medlock, but Calgary’s defence eventually buckled down and prevented them from achieving much more; the Stamps sacked Matt Nichols three times, and limited him to just 15-32 completions and 156 passing yards. With just 245 net offensive yards given up, it was a dominant defensive performance for the ages, and the Stamps will need that to repeat itself this week if they hope to finally win a Grey Cup with this current core of the roster. They had enough offence to get the job done, with Mitchell going 17-31 for 214 yards and three scores, while RB Don Jackson added 83 rushing yards on 14 carries. Winnipeg tried to engage Andrew Harris, back-to-back CFL rushing leader in 2017 and 2018, as much as possible, but the front seven keyed in on him and he managed only 71 yards on 13 carries. After an up-and-down season for Winnipeg, the year is sadly now over, and the chance for their first Grey Cup since 1990 will have to wait another season.

PICK: Calgary

RESULT: Ottawa

106th GREY CUP PREVIEW

COMMONWEALTH STADIUM, EDMONTON, ALBERTA

(1) Ottawa vs. (1) Calgary, Sunday, November 25th, 6:00 PM EST: It’s the second time in three years these teams have faced off for the CFL’s top prize; the Stampeders, who are playing in their third straight championship game and their fourth in five seasons, are once again favoured, but despite being favourites twice previously, they’ve come away unsuccessful in consecutive years, and desperately want to avoid a third straight defeat. For Ottawa, who remain just a five-year-old franchise, three Grey Cup trips in five seasons is an extremely impressive run of success, especially when compared against franchises who’ve been established for much longer, such as Winnipeg – 28 years and counting without a win – and Hamilton – 19 years and counting.

In the 2016 title game, Ottawa QB Henry Burris, who retired after the game, led the underdog REDBLACKS to a highly improbable overtime win, where he racked up 461 passing yards and three touchdowns while playing on one leg… he injured the other one minutes before the opening kickoff and played in a brace for the whole contest. Bo Levi Mitchell also threw an uncharacteristic three interceptions which kept the heavily favoured Stamps from blowing the game open. Further dramatics ensued right at the end of the game when then-Ottawa HB Abdul Kanneh saved a touchdown by tackling QB Andrew Buckley by his shoelaces as he attempted a QB keep and end-around. In overtime, Burris found WR Ernest Jackson for the winning score, which he juggled a few times in the end zone before finally pulling it in.

All of this is ancient history now, of course.

These teams are different now – many names remain the same, but expectations have now changed. Trevor Harris gets to appear in his first Grey Cup as a starter – he was all set to go two years ago before Burris made his dramatic return – while the narrative in Calgary is now one of redemption. After back-to-back unexpected and crushing losses, Bo Levi Mitchell – who, rightfully or not, shouldered much of the blame in both defeats to Ottawa and Toronto – needs to show that he’ll be able to deliver a championship to Calgary. Calgary’s game plan remains defence-first, due to the talent they have on that side of the ball – but after last week’s amazing performance against Hamilton, it seems a tall order at this point in time to ask the offence to try to go punch-for-punch with Ottawa’s, which is really firing on all cylinders right now.

Calgary has won both previous meetings this season, and the front seven absolutely punished Trevor Harris, particularly in their Week 5 victory, where the Stamps won 27-3 and Ottawa looked thoroughly beaten. The Calgary front seven mauled Trevor Harris, sacking him four times and also forcing three fumbles, while the secondary also picked him off three times.

While Calgary still has the best defence in the league, as they did in 2016, Ottawa found a way to rise to the challenge and overcome them – will they be able to do the same this time around? And if they don’t… what does that mean for the franchise? Will players get traded? Will coaches get fired? It’s hard to say. While perhaps it might be fair to ask the same questions of the REDBLACKS, all of these issues still seem to be infinitely more pressing for the Stampeders if they do lose a third straight championship game.

Final note: Ottawa thought they’d be without DB Jonathan Rose for this game, as he’d initially been suspended for shoving an official during a sideline fracas against Hamilton, but since he has filed an appeal, which won’t be heard until after the Grey Cup is played, he’s thus eligible to play. With six interceptions in 2018, Rose is a key piece of the REDBLACKS’ secondary, and his absence would’ve been felt.

At any rate, if this game is even half as exciting as 2016’s matchup was, this is sure to be a fantastic finale to the 2018 CFL season.

PICK: Calgary