AMSOIL Power Rankings: Join the parity party

TORONTO — Last week, we (perhaps foolishly) talked about how the Montreal Alouettes had been able to sit back and watch the other eight teams in the league bob up and down in the seas of parity.

In Week 14, parity — specifically the BC Lions — caught up with the Als, or at least gave them a little nudge on their perch.

The Lions’ 37-23 win over the Als didn’t knock Montreal out of the top spot in the CFL Power Rankings presented by AMSOIL, but it does chip away at what might have been perceived as an invincibility that had been building over the last few weeks. Week 14 reminded us that the Als are indeed fallible, even if they are at the front of the pack at the moment.

It should also serve as a reminder of just how dangerous a number of other teams in the league are right now, regardless of their records. The Elks are fighting their way back into the West Division race and the Bombers — remember when they were 2-6? — have now won five in a row and are a game above .500. You’ll see Hamilton has made a move in the rankings as well. That’s partly due to how the teams under them are playing at the moment, but also because of what they’ve shown in their last two outings.

All of this to say that as we move into the final third of the regular season, things are still very open. There’s time and room for a team to make a move and throw another twist into this very difficult to predict — and rank — season.

Let’s get into this week’s rankings.

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1. Montreal Alouettes (10-2)

Last Week: 1
Last Game: 37-23 loss to BC
Next Game: At Calgary, Sat. Sept. 14

Worth noting: They can’t all be comeback wins, apparently. The Als were stifled by a Lions’ defence that limited them to 270 yards of net offence, well below the 355.7 (fourth in the league) they’re averaging per game. Given the disappointing outcome to the Lions, losing at home and coming off of a bye week, some will see the down-and-out Stampeders on the schedule and will worry about a trap game or worse, the potential for this team’s first rut of the season. A sharp, businesslike Alouettes team will need to show up in Calgary to get back in the win column and to continue working to locking up the East Division.

2. Ottawa REDBLACKS (8-3-1)

Last Week: 2
Last Game: 41-27 win over Toronto
Next game: At Hamilton, Sat. Sept. 14

Worth noting: Adarius Pickett didn’t hold back on his former team when he got a microphone in front of him. His defensive teammates managed to overshadow those strong words in a dominant showing against the Argos, with a pair of Damon Webb pick sixes as part of a six-turnover day. The REDBLACKS have hit the eight-win mark now, which kind of incredibly matches the third-best record the team has posted in its 10-year existence. Don’t scoff at that, though. The 2016 REDBLACKS were 8-9-1 and won the Grey Cup that year. The next objective for this team will be to clinch its first playoff appearance in six years, then get back to work on making it a home date.

3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-6)

Last Week: 3
Last Game: 26-21 win over Saskatchewan 
Next game: At Edmonton, Sat. Sept. 21

Worth noting: We’ll quickly touch on a couple of things we’ve said more than once around here when it comes to this team. First, you were foolish to count them out, whether they were 0-4 or 2-6. Second, that season series win over the Lions is already paying dividends for the Bombers, as it puts them in first place in the West Division, despite the teams having the same records. Finally, we know he hates this kind of stuff, but if you haven’t already, give some love to Mike O’Shea, who became the Bombers’ all-time winningest coach on Sunday, appropriately at the expense of the arch-rival Riders in their Labour Day rematch game. The Bombers get a well-earned break, before we all get treated to back-to-back Tre vs. Tyrell Ford games in Week 16 and 17.

4. Edmonton Elks (5-8)

Last Week: 4
Last Game: 37-16 win over Calgary
Next game: Vs. Winnipeg, Sat. Sept. 21

Worth noting: The theme for the Elks in this week’s rankings is 180s. How about the sold out lower bowl at Commonwealth Stadium? How about a lopsided win for that jubilant home crowd? The on-field 180 is the confidence that’s radiating from this Elks team. You could see it in that smooth reverse they ran that got Tevin Jones into the end zone. You can see it in the players on the sideline. Where this team had found ways to steer itself to defeat the last few years, the only concern behind the wheel now is if the new owner has the fire truck near the opposition’s bench. It’s been a difficult few years for a longtime proud franchise in Edmonton. It’s nice to see some of that swagger back around them.

5. BC Lions (7-6)

Last Week: 5
Last Game: 37-23 win over Montreal
Next game: Vs. Toronto, Fri. Sept. 13

Worth noting: William Stanback got the revenge game that athletes dream of, stomping his way to 128 yards and a touchdown on the ground. We hope that on that touchdown run, he took notice that at the end of the stiff-arm he threw at Titus Wall was his old No. 31 Alouettes jersey staring back at him. Revenge game aside, this was a statement win for the Lions, who crossed three time zone and beat the league’s top team as it came back from a bye week. If the Lions keep playing like this, they’re headed back toward the top of these rankings.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-9)

Last Week: 8
Last game: 31-28 win over Toronto (OK Tire Labour Day Weekend)
Next game: Vs. Ottawa, Sat. Sept. 14

Worth noting: This week provides a good test for the Ticats. From their close Week 12 loss to Winnipeg, through to their impressive OK Tire Labour Day Weekend win over the Argos, the Ticats have given us a glimpse of what they can be. Bo Levi Mitchell has taken care of the ball in that stretch, not throwing any interceptions and the Ticats have played clean, disciplined football, flagged 11 times for 108 yards. Consistency has been elusive for them this year and they’ll need it on Saturday, if they’re going to keep up with a REDBLACKS team that seems to be figuring itself out a little more each week. The Ticats haven’t been ranked higher than this sixth spot all season. To do that and to keep their season alive, they’ll have to have a run as the best version of themselves.

7. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-7-1)

Last Week: 7
Last Game: 26-21 loss to Winnipeg
Next game: At Calgary, Fri. Sept. 20

Worth noting: While determining this week’s rankings, one voter who was arguing for the Riders to be higher than this seventh spot said something to the effect of, ‘this is a very good football team with the small detail being that they can’t win games right now.’ It’s one of those things that when you hear it out loud, you realize how it sounds. For the voters, it sealed the Riders’ fate in this spot for another week. If you count their tie in this slide, it marks the third season in a row that the Riders have gone winless in seven games. That said, their strong start to the season and the West’s parity means that there’s still time for them to turn things around. The Riders hold the third and final playoff spot in the West right now, just a point ahead of the Elks. That’s safe for this week, as they’re both on a bye. The wins need to start coming for this group, though, if they’re going to play into November.

8. Toronto Argonauts (6-6)

Last Week: 6
Last Game: 41-27 loss to Ottawa
Next game: At BC, Fri. Sept. 13

Worth noting: Some may be surprised to see a .500 team — one that holds a three-game lead on Hamilton for the East’s final playoff spot — this low in the rankings. This is more about recent trends though, and not standings. In their last three games, the Argos eked out a win on a rouge against the Riders, lost on Labour Day to the Ticats and with a chance to gain ground on the REDBLACKS last week, laid a rotten egg in a six-turnover showing that had them down 31-3 at halftime. The Argos have the blessing of that three-game cushion lead over the Ticats for some playoff hope security, but they’ll need to sharpen up to finish that job. They go cross-country this week to visit the Lions, then have an important game in Week 16 against the Ticats, before hosting the Als to close out the month. They can get back on track, but it’s not an easy haul for them.