Université de Laval photo
The U SPORTS football playoffs are finally here across the country, with a glorious slate of seven post-season matchups on tap this Saturday.
Let’s break down each matchup and provide a Berman-esque long shot of a prediction.
Canada West
While Calgary long ago wrapped up first place and home-field advantage through the CanWest playoffs, the other three teams still alive out west — UBC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — all played meaningful games down the stretch. Lest we forget the No. 3-ranked Dinos are the heavy favourite to emerge from the conference playoffs, just remember they only played a single one-score game (32-28 W at UBC) all season.
Adam Sinagra and the undefeated Calgary Dinos will look to romp the visiting Manitoba Bisons this Saturday. (Calgary Dinos photo)
Saturday, 2 p.m. ET | Manitoba (3-5) at #3 Calgary (8-0)
The Bisons and Dinos only met once during the regular season, a 34-16 Calgary win three weeks ago at McMahon Stadium. Dinos QB Adam Sinagra put up videogame-esque numbers (404 pass yards-per-game, 27 touchdowns against five interceptions) en route to the only 3,000-yard season in the nation this year. As a team, Calgary scored way more (352 points) and allowed way fewer (139 allowed) points than anybody else in the conference; at this early stage of the playoffs, those statistics typically hold true. Prediction: Calgary 38, Manitoba 17.
Saturday, 5 p.m. ET | #7 Saskatchewan (5-3) at #9 UBC (5-3)
The T-Birds shot up the standings in the second half after a surprising 2-3 start to the season, while the Huskies slumped after a 3-1 start; the end result is Saskatchewan having to trudge across the country to Thunderbird Stadium, where Blake Nill’s UBC team held a 3-1 record this year. Most importantly, the T-Birds already beat the Huskies there, 20-10, in their only prior meeting this season: UBC snagged four interceptions and forced Sask. QB Kyle Siemens from the game, and you wonder if that memory may linger. Prediction: UBC 28, Saskatchewan 18.
OUA
The No.-1 ranked Western Mustangs went undefeated, pummelling virtually all opposition, for a reason: Greg Marshall’s ‘Stangs are just better than everybody else in their conference. Poor Carleton, which has to make the trek to TD Stadium in London this week.
The Mustangs are 8-0 and ranked #1 in the country for a reason. (UWO photo)
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET | #8 Carleton (5-3) at #1 Western (8-0)
Before you get your knickers in a knot: Yes, Carleton took Western to OT in Week 1. But that was a UWO team which hadn’t played a pre-season game, and recent history has shown us this is a Mustangs program which will consistently makes the Yates Cup conference final at a minimum. Cedric Joseph is also an unstoppable force on the ground for Western, and if he gets going it could be a long day for the visiting Ravens. History fact: Western beat Carleton 51-24 in this exact same game two years ago. Prediction: Western 44, Carleton 10.
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET | #6 Guelph (5-3) at u#5 Ottawa (6-2)
What a matchup. A uOttawa team that just kept finding ways to win big games — v. Guelph (12-10), Panda Game (38-27), the list goes on — and has earned the right to host a semi-final, and a Guelph squad that got here despite having the most anemic regular-season offence of any playoff-bound team in the conference. These two played a tight, defensive contest back in early September, and we could be in for more of the same. Prediction: Guelph 17, uOttawa 16
RSEQ
When the top two teams are so clearly better than the other three teams in the conference, it makes the opening weekend of the playoffs a largely moot point.
The Carabins will be gunning for Laval next week, but must take care of business against an outmatched McGill team this week. (Université de Montréal photo)
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET | Sherbrooke (2-6) at #2 Laval (8-0)
The Rouge et Or will win this game, the only question is by how much. Laval QB Hugo Richard set a boatload of conference records earlier this season, and the Rouge et Or hammered Sherbrooke 53-0 in their final regular-season game two weeks ago. Expect a rinse and repeat from Glen Constantin’s men, who will already have one eye on the near-guaranteed Dunsmore Cup final against Montréal. Prediction: Laval 47, Sherbrooke 1
Saturday, 2 p.m. ET | McGill (2-6) at #4 Montreal (6-2)
The Carabins were just as dominant against the bottom three-fifths of the RSEQ conference as the Rouge et Or were: Danny Maciocia — yes, that Danny Maciocia — and his Montréal squad allowed a nation-low 46 points this season, and a whopping 16 in six games against teams not named Laval. While McGill did play them respectably tight (16-0) on the final weekend of the regular season, don’t expect a miracle upset as the Redmen failed to score a single point against the Carabins over two regular-season games. Prediction: Montreal 27, McGill 0.
AUS
Saint Mary’s looked like the odds-on favourite to emerge from out east, until a 33-2 smacking at the hands of Acadia in the last game of the AUS regular season. Now, who knows!
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET | #10 Acadia (5-3) at St. FX (6-2)
While the X-Men swept the season series between the two squads, both games were of the one-score variety (30-24*, 33-30) and one went to overtime (*). The AUS is always a mystery, and with its winner drawn to hit the road for a date with the Quebec champion — likely Laval, maybe Montreal — and the winner of this semi-final still due to face 7-1 SMU, it’s unlikely that either of these squads will be in Quebec City come November 24 for the Vanier Cup. Prediction: Acadia 27, St. FX 21
