CFL.ca Staff
OTTAWA – The Laval Rouge et Or remain atop the CIS football rankings for the seventh time in as many national media polls in 2008, while the No. 2 Queen’s Gaels also continue their quest for an undefeated season after clinching first place in Ontario.
Laval (6-0) received all 11 first-place votes from the Top 10 committee for the sixth consecutive week following a convincing 41-10 road win over Bishop’s (2-4). The Rouge et Or have now been ranked No. 1 in 46 of the past 47 CIS polls, dating back to 2005.
The five-time defending Quebec conference champions, off to a 6-0 start for the fourth straight year, also improved their regular season record to a remarkable 43-3 since the start of 2003.
First place in Quebec could be on the line Sunday in Quebec City when No. 1 Laval hosts No. 9 Sherbrooke (5-1). The upstart Vert & Or, who joined the QUFL in 2003, have already racked up a team record five wins this fall, their lone defeat being a 15-10 setback against Bishop’s on Sept. 27.
Laval leads the all-time head-to-head series 7-0, including six wins in the regular season.
Queen’s (7-0) swept the second-place votes in the new national poll after a 38-16 victory over Ottawa (3-4).
With the win, the Gaels secured first place in Ontario for the first time since returning to the OUA in 2001. It marks the team’s first division title since topping the defunct Ontario-Quebec conference (OQIFC) with a 6-2 record in 1997, and their first Ontario regular season title since taking first place in the OUAA East with a 6-0 mark in 1978.
Queen’s, ranked No. 2 for the third straight week, wraps up conference play Saturday at Waterloo (2-5).
The Top 10 is shaken up behind Laval and Queen’s this week following a pair of upsets.
No. 3 Western Ontario (6-1), No. 4 Calgary (4-2) and No. 5 Concordia (4-2) all move up two spots, while Saskatchewan (4-2) is down two positions to No. 6 and Saint Mary’s (5-1) drops four places all the way to No. 7.
Saskatchewan let a 16-0 lead slip away on its way to a 20-17 home loss to reigning Vanier Cup champion Manitoba. Saint Mary’s suffered its first loss of the season, a 37-20 defeat at home at the hands of Montreal in which the Huskies committed 10 turnovers, including six lost fumbles.
No. 8 Simon Fraser (5-2), No. 9 Sherbrooke (5-1) and No. 10 Wilfrid Laurier (5-2) all maintain their previous positions and round out this week’s poll.
Simon Fraser visits Saskatchewan Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The game is live on Shaw TV.
MITSUBISHI TOP 10 (#6)
Voting is based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point system, with a first-place vote worth 10 points. The CIS Football Top Ten Committee is made up of 11 members of media from across Canada. A total of nine national rankings will be released for the 2008 season, with the final Top 10 being released once all teams have completed the regular season.
| Pts (1st place) | Last week | |
| 1. Laval (6-0) | 110 (11) | 1 |
| 2. Queen’s (7-0) | 99 | 2 |
| 3. Western Ontario (6-1) | 76 | 5 |
| 4. Calgary (4-2) | 73 | 6 |
| 5. Concordia (4-2) | 59 | 7 |
| 6. Saskatchewan (4-2) | 54 | 4 |
| 7. Saint Mary’s (5-1) | 48 | 3 |
| 8. Simon Fraser (5-2) | 36 | 8 |
| 9. Sherbrooke (5-1) | 26 | 9 |
| 10. Wilfrid Laurier (5-2) | 12 | 10 |
Other teams receiving votes: Montreal (11), Manitoba (1).
CIS FOOTBALL WEEK 9 SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)
Saturday, Oct. 18
12:00 pm Montreal (3-3) at McGill (0-6), RDS
1:00 pm Windsor (3-4) at McMaster (3-4), The Score
1:00 pm No. 10 Laurier (5-2) at York (0-7), Rogers
1:00 pm Guelph (4-3) at No. 3 Western (6-1), Rogers
1:00 pm Toronto (2-5) at Ottawa (3-4)
1:00 pm No. 2 Queen’s (7-0) at Waterloo (2-5)
1:00 pm No. 5 Concordia (4-2) at Bishop’s (2-4)
1:00 pm Regina (3-3) at Alberta (1-5)
1:00 pm No. 4 Calgary (4-2) at Manitoba (3-3)
1:30 pm No. 8 Simon Fraser (5-2) at No. 6 Saskatchewan (4-2), Shaw TV
2:00 pm StFX (3-3) at Acadia (0-6)
2:00 pm No. 7 Saint Mary’s (5-1) at Mount Allison (2-4), EastLink
Sunday, Oct. 19
1:00 pm No. 9 Sherbrooke (5-1) at No. 1 Laval (6-0), RDS
