1. Laval (Last week: 1)
There is no greater separation between picks than between Nos. 1 and 2. Laval has been that impressive. They are boringly dominant at this point, and that’s after having already navigated the toughest stretch of their regular-season schedule. Coming off a 57-point victory over Bishop’s they take on the winless McGill Redmen at home. McGill has yet to hold an opponent to less than 40 points, and Laval has yet to score fewer than 40. Expect another lopsided score at Peps.
2. Western (LW: 2)
You’ll never guess who the Mustangs’ leading rusher is. Despite the fact that they boast two of the best running backs in the country in Garret Sanvido and Yannick Harou, their leading rusher is Will Finch. As deadly as his legs are, the Mustangs will go as far as Finch’s right arm takes them. For their title hopes to remain intact they’ll have to limit the hits the junior takes and help him avoid the type of uncharacteristic four-interception performance that rained on his homecoming parade.
3. Calgary (LW: 3)
The Dinos’ offensive output has dipped from 71 points in week 1 to 59 in week 2 to 38 this past weekend in Saskatchewan. That said, scoring nearly 40 points against a ranked opponent is still impressive. For anyone alarmed by the team’s offence, consider that Calgary still leads the nation in points and touchdowns, sitting second only to Western in yards. Don’t be surprised if Calgary’s big win versus the Huskies is the only time they score fewer than 40 this year.
4. McMaster (LW: 4)
In 2013, Mac’s run game was their Achilles heel. They struggled to put teams away late and dominate the time of possession because of it. Just a year later with the same cast of characters it seems to be a strength. Last week at York’s homecoming the Marauders had seven ball carriers gain over 10 yards on a single rush. The backfield depth is astounding and their ability to run by committee keeps teams off balance. The leading man has been Wayne Moore, who leads the nation with six rushing TDs.
5. Mount Allison (LW: 6)
In their first three contests, the Mounties have discovered that not only do they have yet another game-breaking RB in Chris Reid, but that they are the class of the AUS, facing every Atlantic opponent and coming out unscathed. Before an October home-and-home series with the same SMU Huskies team the Mounties just dominated on homecoming, they’ll travel to Quebec for their sole inter-conference fixture in the RSEQ. Their road tilt against Bishop’s will give fans a better assessment about how Mount A—and by default the AUS—stacks up with the rest of the country’s best.
6. Guelph (LW: 7)
In front of a raucous homecoming crowd the Gryphons strung together the single-most impressive win in the Stu Lang era. I’m sure it’s bittersweet for the former standout wideout that the dismantling came at the hands of his beloved alma mater, the Queen’s Gaels, but I suspect it didn’t dampen the mood all that much. Still, even with the massive victory over their long-time nemesis, the Gryphons have work to do to provide their supporters a home playoff date in Guelph this year. Of their remaining four games, all four are against teams with winning records: Windsor, Carleton, Western and Laurier, all of whom have combined for just two losses.
7. Saskatchewan (LW: 5)
The good news for Saskatchewan is that they learned they can compete physically with the Calgary Dinos—something the vast majority of programs can’t say. Saskatchewan converted the same amount of first downs as Calgary and even possessed the ball for two more minutes. The bad news is they don’t have the stamina or the depth to close out the game in the final minutes. Despite holding a lead at halftime, they relinquished two late fourth-quarter TDs in the disappointing loss. Ironically Saskatchewan’s only loss may just be the team’s most complete game. Despite the finish, the game could become a building block for the 2014 Huskies.
8. Montreal (LW: 8)
In a meeting of long-time cross-town rivals, Montreal beat up on McGill 43–17 on Friday. Despite the fact that the Vanier Cup will be held at Percival Molson stadium, it’s clear that Montreal—not McGill—has a shot to be in the game. Montreal finally looked worthy of the elite status they were billed with in the pre-season before being embarrassed by Laval in week one.
9. Concordia (LW: honourable mention)
For a long time the Montreal football conversation included just two teams, but now Concordia is back in the conversation in one of the country’s best football towns. What a difference incoming head coach Mickey Donovan has made. He’s already pretty much wrapped up the RSEQ Coach of the Year award as the Stingers are undefeated heading into the inter-conference break in the RSEQ schedule.
10. Manitoba (LW: 10)
The Bisons win yet again in a hostile environment but the sluggish offence prevents me from bumping them up any farther. The Bisons rank 16th or worse in most major offensive categories. To keep up with Can West gunslingers like Andrew Buckley, Cayman Shutter and Drew Burko, Manitoba will have to learn to manufacture points and give their vaunted defence a rest.
Honourable mention: Windsor (LW: not ranked), Sherbrooke (LW: 9)
Dropped out: Regina (LW: honourable mention)