Johany Jutras/CFL
In one month, we will be watching playoff football but a lot has to happen before we get to that point. There are three races to watch for: Who will finish 1-2-3 in the East; which Alberta team gets to host the Western Final; and whether it will be Montreal/Winnipeg/BC that gets the final playoff spot.
In order to figure that out here are 10 storylines to watch in the final month of the season:
1. MOP RACE
Since Zach Collaros was lost for the season in Hamilton, there are some interesting contenders for the Most Outstanding Player of the league. Henry Burris and Trevor Harris have to among the top contenders. Eric Rogers of the Calgary Stampeders continues to have a great year leading the league in receiving yards as well. It likely comes down to those three players when things are decided by the voters in the final weeks of the season.
2. NO J.J. IN OTTAWA
The Ottawa REDBLACKS are going to make the playoffs in just their second year but timing couldn’t be worse for the team as it lost Jeremiah Johnson for the season in a loss to Argonauts last week. Johnson helped add a different dimension out of the backfield for the REDBLACKS and really allowed some balance to give Burris more time to find his upgraded receiving corps. How will the offence suffer without him? We’ll wait to see but in small sample size William Powell looks like he can fit right in with over 100-yards from scrimmage stepping in Johnson’s place. Maybe Ottawa won’t miss a beat.
3. LACK OF ZACH
We still need to see the Hamilton Tiger-Cats take on teams other than the Saskatchewan Roughriders to really gauge how they’ll do down the stretch without Zach Collaros. Jeff Mathews looks like he can play but even Jonathon Jennings had a drop off from a good game against the league’s worst defense. Now that the league is beyond the trade deadline there won’t be any last minute moves that can improve the Tiger-Cats quarterback depth chart so Mathews needs to shine down the stretch to keep the Tabbies on the top of the contender list heading into the post season.
4. SAVIOUR KEVIN
The Montreal Alouettes made a splash on deadline day picking up veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn from the Roughriders. Glenn had a great first half of the season in Saskatchewan until a pectoral injury put him on the six-game. Since his return, he hasn’t exactly been as good but what he brings the Alouettes is some semblance of stability behind centre. Monday’s loss to Toronto was more than enough for Jim Popp to recognize something and someone had to change for this team, which has one of the most fierce defences in the league, to find its full potential. Glenn has a few days to fit in, then four weeks get the Alouettes into the playoffs.
5. TORONTO ‘HOME’ GAMES
How will the Argonauts’ chances at first in the East be hurt by the fact they won’t play another home game this season until possibly November? Yes, Scott Milanovich finds himself with another handicap to get this team back to where it was in 2012. The Argonauts’ next home game is at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton and could likely return there next week, and possibly the week after that. The team has won ‘home’ games this season in Fort McMurray and Ottawa and is hoping Tim Hortons Field is as welcoming. It continues to impress me how these distractions don’t seem to faze Milanovich’s Argos. It also helps when they have Trevor Harris playing as well as he is.
6. CANADIAN PHAROAH(S)
The Calgary Stampeders ride into the stretch run with the best one-two Canadian running back punch in decades as they pick up Jerome Messam from the Roughriders on deadline day and he teams up with Jon Cornish. Now we don’t know how long Cornish will be out for and the fact the Stampeders picked up another star running back may tell you it could be awhile, or the Stamps are just comfortable loading up their back field for when they need the horses to take over games. Can this run game allow the Stamps to run by the Eskimos for the West Crown?
7. RETURN OF THE EMPIRE
The Edmonton Eskimos were once the model franchise in the CFL. They are starting get their reputation back as once of the toughest teams to play. Now they find themselves at the top of the West standings thanks to two wins over their nemesis to the south, Calgary. But for them to hold on to that spot and keep their chances of hosting the Western Final for the first time since 2003, now is not the time to have a set back. Keeping Mike Reilly healthy is imperative because Calgary isn’t going away easily. If the Eskimos keep their foot on the gas, they will go into the playoffs as the favourite. We’ll see how they play now that they are the hunted.
8. JENNINGS OR TRAVIS?
The BC Lions need Jon Jennings to either grab hold of the reins of this team or make a decision to go back to Travis Lulay. The sooner the better as there isn’t much time for the Lions. The schedule maker isn’t making it easy for them either as they play the top four teams in the CFL to wrap up their season. For the Lions to make the post season they need to start upsetting the apple cart in the CFL and for them to do that, they have to figure out who is their best option to win at quarterback.
9. PRAIRIE PRESSURE
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a lot riding on the final month of the season. Jobs could be on the line from the top on down if the Bombers again find themselves out of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. After seven wins last season, Mike O’Shea can’t see his team take a step back.
Matt Nichols has provided them a quarterback who can pull out a win like he did against BC. Now they have a kicker who looks reliable and their defence has never been the problem. Being the Grey Cup host is never easy to meet the gaudy expectations placed upon you. But this was supposed to be the year the Bombers broke through and became at the very least a playoff team.
They’re not out of it yet, but like the Lions there aren’t any easy games left to make a charge to the post-season.
10. RIDERVILLE REBUILD
For the next month in Saskatchewan it’s going to be interesting to see who sits and who plays in their final three games after they return from the bye week. Interim General Manager Jeremy O’Day made it clear after the deadline that the plan they’ve put in place is to focus on development and the future. Reading between the lines, you’re going to see some veterans take a seat so they can see some younger faces play bigger roles in their final three games.
Behind the scenes, President and CEO Craig Reynolds has to be close to getting to the stages of finalizing his list of candidates and the interview process should be underway or at least getting close. Finding a GM sooner rather than later would be best for the Riders to start an off-season roster overhaul.
PREDICTIONS
So here is how I see it shuffling out through the final part of the season:
WESTERN SEMI-FINAL:
AT 
After just missing out on first in the West, Calgary will beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Winnipeg will get the final playoff spot thanks to winning both games against BC in the regular season.
EASTERN SEMI-FINAL:
AT 
The Ottawa REDBLACKS will upset the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field. I think the Tabbies won’t be as strong and may stumble a few times down the stretch. Heck, this game might be played at TD Place in Ottawa. The REDBLACKS, Argos and Tiger-Cats will finish all within a win of each other. It’ll come down to tie breakers.
WESTERN FINAL:
AT 
I think the Calgary Stampeders will win the West when it is all said and done. The been there done that factor will come into play as will a far superior run game. Eskimos will have to wait another year.
EASTERN FINAL:
AT 
In an interesting twist, the team that couldn’t find a home will host and win its final game at the Rogers Centre before moving over to BMO Field. I think the Argonauts have the fewest question marks and whether it be Harris or even if injury strikes and Ricky Ray comes in, they are set for a great finish to the season. Plus, Ottawa and Hamilton play each other three times in a row and will wear each other out.
103rd GREY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP:
VS
Calgary and Toronto land in Winnipeg on Tuesday of Grey Cup week and it’ll be a rematch of the 2012 Grey Cup on the Frozen Tundra of Investors Group Field, a drastic contrast to the indoor conditions they played in three years ago.
