CFL roundtable: Is West Division final the de facto Grey Cup?

James Cybulski talks to Davis Sanchez about CFL playoffs, specifically the upcoming Battle of Alberta, calling the matchup between the Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders a fair fight.

They’ve been the CFL’s two best teams all year long and the Alberta franchises have been on a collision course for some time. The Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos are tied with the best record in the league with just four losses each. Other than when they’ve been facing each other, it’s been awhile since another CFL team has gotten the best of them. Edmonton’s last loss to a team other than Calgary was to Hamilton all the way back on Aug. 21. Meanwhile, Calgary last lost to a team other than Edmonton on July 24 in Ottawa.

In this edition of the roundtable, our expert panel debates the question:

Is the West Division final the defacto Grey Cup?

DONNOVAN BENNETT: Barring a significant injury, yes. Calgary and Edmonton have been the most balanced teams for the entire season. The 18-game sample size is proof they are the two best-coached and deepest teams. If the West winner loses in the Grey Cup it would and should be considered a massive upset.

JUSTIN DUNK: No. Even though the West will put a dominant team in the Grey Cup the East performed well when facing teams from the other division in 2015. It would be shocking to see the West Division winner blow out their opposition from the East in the CFL title game.

ARASH MADANI: Not so fast. If it’s a cold, snowy, windy night in Winnipeg—and would that shock anyone with an outdoor game on Nov. 29?—the front sevens of both the Redblacks and Tiger-Cats are legit enough to turn the game into a physical, point-of-attack slugfest. Weather will determine how much of a finesse affair the championship turns into. The more blue collar it gets, the better the chance for the East Division champ to make it a game. Although, God help the Tiger-Cats if Jeremiah Masoli is out there against the Eskimos defence.

JAMIE THOMAS: Early in the season I would have said yes without hesitation. Even with the Eskimos on the run they are on right now and the Stamps looking like the champs last weekend, I feel like there is something special going on right now in Ottawa. The Grey Cup will not be an easy night for whomever represents the West in Winnipeg.

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.