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We’ve reached that awkward point in the U SPORTS football schedule where one conference (Ontario) is already in playoff mode while the other three conferences have one final week of regular-season play.
Then again: We’re not complaining.
With two sweet quarter-final matchups in the OUA, a great matchup in the Canada West conference and a final-day showdown for the last playoff spot in Quebec, Week 10 has plenty of action on tap.
The fun will start out west on Friday night, when the Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3) will pay a visit to the Regina Rams (1-6*); the battle for provincial bragging rights is always entertaining, and will surely be so tonight even though the Rams are eliminated from playoff contention due to the forfeiture of three games for an ineligible player.
More importantly, it will be the final footnote in the storied university career of Regina quarterback Noah Picton — if he can play. The 23-year-old Regina native has the all-time university pass yards record, and deserves one more run out in front of the Rams faithful.
Saturday brings a couple of intriguing matchups out east, as Saint Mary’s (7-0) visits Acadia (4-3) in a rematch of last year’s Loney Bowl; in Quebec, Concordia (2-5) visits Sherbrooke (1-6) with all kinds of playoff implications on the line. The hometown Vert & Or need to beat the Stingers by more than two points in order to nip above them for the fourth and final playoff spot in the RSEQ.
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Playoffs will begin in Ontario on Saturday, as the Carleton Ravens (5-3) host the McMaster Marauders (5-3) in the 4-v-5 matchup and Guelph (5-3) hosts Waterloo (4-4) in the 3-v-6 meeting.
All four of those teams have battled inconsistency throughout the season, thus it’s difficult to predict how any of them will go; the only sure thing is that No.-1 Western (8-0) will be heavily favoured in one of the conference’s semi-finals.
Week 10 Games (all times eastern)
Friday, Oct. 26
8 p.m. | Saskatchewan at Regina
Saturday, Oct. 27
1 p.m. | Mt. Allison at St. FX
1 p.m. | Saint Mary’s at Acadia
1 p.m. | McMaster at Carleton
1 p.m. | Waterloo at Guelph
2 p.m. | Montreal at McGill
3 p.m. | Calgary at Alberta
3 p.m. | UBC at Manitoba
4 p.m. | Concordia at Sherbrooke
Bold denotes playoff game
