October 15, 2018

Steinberg’s MMQB: No easy path in the CFL West

The Canadian Press

We’re going to see the CFL’s crossover rule come into play for a third straight season, but this year has a slightly different feel. In years past, you could make the argument a West Division team would be better served to crossover and head east. I just don’t see that being the case in 2018, which should lead to quite the finish down the stretch.

One of Edmonton, BC, Winnipeg, or Saskatchewan is guaranteed to go through the East Division this post-season. We don’t know what team that’s going to be, and we probably won’t until the final week of the season; that’s how close things are right now. But having to play road games in both Hamilton and Ottawa is not something I’d be signing up to do.

There’s a reason why a West Division team has never advanced to the Grey Cup as a crossover seed. Despite the fact Saskatchewan was minutes away from doing so last year, you also can’t dispute how difficult it is to travel across the country on two different occasions. And that’s when we’re talking about a sizeable gap between teams, which I don’t see in 2018.

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In both 2016 and 2017, crossover teams, Edmonton and Saskatchewan respectively, had superior records to the East Division’s regular season top seed. As such, you could make a pretty strong argument the Eskimos and Riders were better than any of the teams in the other division.

While there’s still a chance this year’s crossover team could have a better record than both the REDBLACKS and Tiger-Cats, the gap will be miniscule at worst come the beginning of November. And, regardless of what the records end up finishing at, you won’t be able to definitively say this year’s crossover team is better than either Hamilton or Ottawa, because things are too close.

Because this league is so volatile right now, I don’t see much separation between five of the six playoff teams we’ll end up seeing. Even Calgary, who I still have in a different class than everyone else, looks somewhat vulnerable due to all the injuries they’re battling right now.

As such, I think Hamilton and Ottawa are just as good, if not better, than any crossover opponent they’d end up hosting. Home field means a great deal come post-season time, so the prospect of traveling to play two equal, if not superior, teams is not something I’m signing up to do. For me, it makes staying in the West the better road to go down.

Adding to the conversation is how undecided things are in the West. While the Stamps are a win away from clinching top spot, everything else is still very much up for grabs. Yes, Saskatchewan has clinched a playoff spot, but their hold on second is tenuous, especially after falling 31-0 to Winnipeg on Saturday; those teams are now just a game apart.

Depending on how things go down the stretch, the possibilities are all over the place for final playoff seeding:

2nd 3rd Crossover Elimination
Saskatchewan X X X
Winnipeg X X X X
BC X X X X
Edmonton X X X X

To sum it up, any one of the teams above could end up as the crossover team in a few weeks. Going on the road against two tough teams like the REDBLACKS and Tiger-Cats is a tall task and is something I’d rather avoid. For the Eskimos, who are extremely unlikely to finish second, doing everything to finish as high as possible still is their best option.

For the remaining three teams, the incentive is even higher. Not only is it unattractive to go through the East, but all three of the Riders, Bombers, and Lions have legitimate eyes on hosting a playoff game next month. That should dispel any internal conversation about how finishing lower in the standings might be better in the bigger picture.

I won’t lie; this is awesome from a viewing standpoint. Yes, it’s disappointing neither Montreal or Toronto is a factor at this point, but there just isn’t much separating everyone else in the playoff picture. Buckle up, because this should be an outstanding final four weeks of the season.

Down to the wire

Speaking of which, could things have worked out any better in the East Division, at least when it comes to deciding the top spot? The fact Ottawa and Hamilton have identical 8-7 records entering a crucial home-and-home set starting Friday night is a perfect way to cap the season. Both teams hold trump cards entering this two-game showdown, too.

On the one hand, the REDBLACKS have a bit of a leg up because sweeping these two games isn’t an absolute must. A split for Ottawa coupled with a home win over Montreal to finish the season will be enough to clinch top spot, and thus a berth in the Eastern Final. That’s all due to a Week 7 REDBLACKS win over Hamilton giving the former a slight edge in tiebreak scenarios.

But, while Ottawa holds the on-paper advantage, it’s the Ticats who look to be heating up at the right time. Hamilton has won two straight entering Week 19 and have wins in five of their last seven overall. Even with those two losses factored in, the Tiger-Cats are averaging almost 34 points per game in their last seven and look to have found their stride offensively.


Buy Week 18 Tickets
» Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Hamilton at Ottawa
» Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET: Edmonton at BC
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: Montreal at Toronto
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Saskatchewan at Calgary


It’s a bit of a different story for the REDBLACKS. Thanks to their 34-16 loss to Edmonton on Saturday, Ottawa now has losses in four of their last six games. More concerning, though, is the boom or bust nature of the REDBLACKS in recent weeks; they either look really good or they’ve struggled noticeably.

Of the two, Hamilton looks like the more likely team to take both games in this crucial set. Doing so wouldn’t clinch them top spot, but it would put them very much in the driver’s seat ahead of their season finale against Toronto. Just a win for the REDBLACKS, though, puts destiny firmly back in their hands.

Regardless of how this plays out, the schedule works out perfectly. The two best teams in the East Division have identical records and play one another in two of their final three games this season. These clairvoyant schedule makers need a raise.

Wally’s world

It was pretty special seeing Wally Buono at McMahon Stadium for a final time on Saturday night. As his BC Lions stunned the Stampeders 26-21, Buono coached his final game in the building where his legacy truly began.

Wally won three Grey Cup rings during his 13 years as head coach in Calgary before relocating to BC for the last 15. As much as Buono likes to downplay sentiment when compared to football business, even he recognized how special Saturday night was.

“Okay, I’m going to admit – it’s extra special,” Buono told the Calgary Sun. “I have a lot of fond memories here. My memories and fondness is for when I coached here. Coming here and beating the Stampeders is a great tribute to our players and our coaches.

“But my fondness comes from the years when I was wearing the Red and White, when we had the great teams, when we went 27-0 and when we did a lot of things to make the Stampeder organization successful.”

There’s no doubt Calgary is in need of replacing McMahon, and that’s a conversation for another day. But I was glad Buono got to coach one of his last games in the building he helped make famous. The fact his Lions won is still the most important thing for him though, as special as Saturday was.