1. Laval (LW: 1)
If Hugo Richard goes on to win the Hec Crighton, his performance against Bishop’s this past weekend is what will have done it. Richard threw seven TDs to five different recipients on the way to 506 yards passing. Laval’s 61-point victory shows just how far Laval is ahead of the pack.
2. Calgary (LW: 2)
If Hugo Richard is playing the QB position at the highest level currently, then Andrew Buckley isn’t far behind. Buckley dialed up 307 yards and two scores through the air to go along with 172 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground—a dominant day for a signal caller who, for the bulk of his time as a Dino, did his damage from the pocket. The Dinos are heading back to the playoffs, and if they beat UBC they’ll clinch home field in the Canada West conference.
3. McMaster (LW: 3)
The Marauders have now clinched first place in the OUA and the right to host the Yates Cup. Still, all eyes will be on Mac as their game this week vs the Gee-Gees holds playoff implications for Laurier, Carleton and Windsor. With a first-round bye awaiting afterwards, it will be interesting to see how many and how long their impact players play this week with a long bus trip to play a physical Ottawa team.
4. Mount Allison (LW: 5)
We know their recipe for success is simple. Stop the run and run the ball. They’ve stuck to that mantra and when you have great ingredients to work with like Hec Crighton candidate Chris Reid, you are going to taste victory more often than not. That was the case Saturday as they held Acadia to 47 yards rushing and sprung Reid for 113. If they finish 8-0 they’ll be the first AUS team to run the table since St. Mary’s in 2001. Ironically enough SMU might be winless this season. The Mounties have already clinched home field in the Loney Bowl. How the tables in the Maritimes have turned.
5. Guelph (LW: 6)
Early in the year detractors called for the Gryphons offensive staff to make a switch from Jazz Lindsey to backup James Roberts. The thought behind the move is that the freakishly athletic Lindsey could only move the sticks with his legs. After his single game record setting 514 yard passing performance against one of the best defenses in the CIS, the Jazz Lindsey critics should be forever silenced.
6. Montreal (LW: 7)
No team has improved internally throughout the year more than the Carabins. After being embarrassed by 23 in week one by Laval, Montreal hasn’t looked back, going undefeated by an average margin of victory of 29 points. They play Laval to end the regular season and will see just how far they’ve come, but they can’t look past this week’s trap game in Lennoxville against Bishop’s.
7. Western (LW: 4)
The same issues that made Western’s big victories less than flawless have proved to be fatal in big match-ups—an inability on the part of their defence to get off the field on second and long, and turnovers at inopportune times. The dream of a first-round bye is gone with nightmare finishes against conference heavyweights McMaster and Guelph. Now they face Windsor with home field in the first round on the line. The season wasn’t lost on Saturday but their margin for error has gotten much smaller due to repeated unforced errors in big situations.
8. Saskatchewan (LW: 8)
The Huskies were thoroughly beaten in all three phases of the game by Manitoba on Friday. Despite getting my nod for having the best-looking uniforms, their performance was ugly. They’re still comfortably in second place in the Can West conference but their game against Alberta this week not only has playoff ramifications, it’s most likely a first-round playoff preview—something nobody would have predicted at the outset of the year.
9. Concordia (LW: 9)
Win and you’re in. That’s the mantra for the Stingers this week as the Cinderella story that is head coach Mickey Donovan’s one-year turnaround of the program could be cemented by clinching a playoff berth versus Sherbrooke. Their five-point win over the Vert et Or earlier in the year was due to their defence creating big turnovers and putting points on a plate for their offence. Sherbrooke has come a long way since. The loser—if they make the playoffs—will play Laval in the first round, so there is more than enough motivation to perform.
10. Manitoba (LW: not ranked)
The Bisons are a different team at Investors Group Field than they are on the road. Manitoba is 3-0 at home with a plus-67 point differential. On the road they are winless in three contests and minus-28. If they want any chance at being home in the playoffs they’ll have to overcome their road woes in Regina this week.
Honourable mentions: Sherbrooke (LW: not ranked), Laurier (LW: honourable mention)
Dropped out: Windsor (LW: 10), Ottawa (honourable mention)