The 15th edition of our power rankings is a curious one. While Montreal has won seven of their last eight and is destroying West opponents on their home turf recently, they've actually lost ground to Calgary over the course of the last seven days. The Stampeders have won six of seven, but feasted on the lowly Toronto Argonauts over the last two weeks.

Is this a case of West bias showing through or have the Als just not proven themselves as powerful yet?

Here are our Week 15 rankings:

*Consensus Ranking - Votes from all six bloggers are added together to determine overall ranking in the poll. Eight points are awarded for a first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, etc. Total points are displayed in parentheses in the Consensus column.

Last Week: 1. Calgary (44); 2. Montreal (43); 3. Saskatchewan (34); 4. B.C. (33); 5. Edmonton (26); 6. Winnipeg (17); 7. Toronto (10); 8. Hamilton (9)

Here are our Week 14 selections:

 

	Andy Baechler (26-22)	Jack Bedell (26-22)	D.J. Bennett (26-22)	Bob Coatsworth (24-24)	Derek Jory (28-20)	Jann Shreve (27-21)
Edmonton vs. Winnipeg
Calgary vs. Toronto
Hamilton vs. B.C.
Sask. vs. Montreal

BACK'EM UP

Each week we ask someone to back up their selections. Jack comes back in Week 14 after a posting a 3-1 mark.

Edmonton over Winnipeg - Winnipeg is playing at home and has been on a bit of a roll lately pulling off victories against Hamilton and Toronto, but something tells me Edmonton is too talented to play three stinkers in a row. Everything else being equal (except for the Bombers' advantage at d-line), the Esks have the better pivot, a deeper o-line situation, and the more talented secondary.

Calgary over Toronto - Hey, I want to believe in miracles, but I just can't see one happening here. The Stamps have more talent at every position, and they'll take care of business on this trip into T.O.

B.C. over Hamilton - The Ticats have scrapped hard two weeks in a row, and they looked like they had some fire under them with Quinton Porter behind centre, but the Lions have too much on the line in the West to drop this one at home.  I expect B.C.'s d-line to make life miserable for Porter, and Kenton Keith won't have the conditioning to carry Hamilton if they become one-dimensional.

Montreal over Saskatchewan - The Als broke their West Division gris gris with last week's demolition of the Esks, and they owe the Riders one after letting the last tilt in Saskatchewan slip away in the final minutes. Bishop or no Bishop, the Riders are too banged up on offence to go blow-to-blow with the Als' offensive attack. Usually, I pick Als' games with my heart, but all body parts say go Montreal this week.

WEEK 13 RECORDS:
Andy 3-1
Jack 3-1
D.J. 2-2
Bob 3-1
Derek 2-2
Jann 2-2

On the heels of a 40-4 (coulda-been-worse) destruction of the Edmonton Eskimos, there really aren’t a lot of questions left to be answered about the Beasts of the East.

Heading into their week 13 tilt, the Als had to listen to quite a few pundits questioning the team’s ability to compete with any of the West Division teams.  And honestly, Montreal’s 1-4 tally against those teams didn’t engender a ton of respect. 

40-4 should, though.  Especially considering the fact that the West is now bunched into a group of teams only separated by two points in the standings.  Even a cursory glance at the remaining schedule would have to give even the most objective analyst the realization that any of the four West teams could take that division crown, and a dominant victory over any of the teams out West should serve a little notice that the Alouettes can hold their own competitively against the bunch nowadays. 

Admittedly, as readers have pointed out early and often, I’m an Als fan, but the numbers don’t lie.

Montreal is currently ranked first or second in 21 out of 30 offensive statistical categories (those stats compiled against teams from both divisions, by the way), including the top ranking in all passing and scoring categories.

On the defensive side of the ball, Montreal has allowed the fewest points in the league this season, and are ranked second in fewest plays from scrimmage against.  In my book, all the other stats are irrelevant. 

With the best offence in the league on the same sideline, any defence that can limit the number of plays the opposition has and that can keep points off the board can win games against anyone.  East, West, North, or South.

Marc Trestman has done an excellent job of keeping the team prepared and highly motivated.  Anthony Calvillo has been as consistent as dawn.  The offensive line has been equally adept at protecting the passer and blowing holes for Avon Cobourne and Mike Imoh.  And the Als’ defensive line has been lethal.

Make no mistake; wins are wins in the CFL.  And beat downs like the one Montreal put on Edmonton last weekend serve notice from coast to coast. 

REALLY QUICK ANSWERS

I really thought I’d come up with some deep questions last week that would take five or six weeks to sort themselves out.  After week 13, however, my queries are looking a little shallow.

In short order, here are the answers like a slap in the face:

 1) Is this the year Henry Burris and the Stamps put it all together enough to make a run at the Grey Cup? 

Yes.

2) Can Montreal find a way to beat the teams out West when it counts? 

Yes.

3) Will the Roughriders have enough healthy bodies down the stretch to defend their title?

No. 

4) Which team will catch a wave of momentum and secure second place in the East?

Winnipeg.

5) Will a team have to win the West to win the Grey Cup? 

Absolutely not.

WEEK 14 PICKS DOOMED TO FAIL

No coin necessary this week.  The gut was lucky enough to come away 3-1 last weekend, so it gets another shot.  This week the belly says: Edmonton, Calgary, B.C., and Montreal. 

PREMATURE PLAYOFF PICKS SURE TO BE CHANGED

I know it’s way early to go out on a limb with playoff picks.  Six weeks in the CFL is an eternity, and literally anything can happen (well, at least in the West Division, that is!).  But here goes:

East—Montreal, Winnipeg, and Saskatchewan

West—Calgary, B.C., and Edmonton

I’d be happy to be argued out of which West team will get the crossover, though, if anyone would like to try…

CIS QUICK OUTS

Monster props have to go to Bishop’s superstar running back Jamall Lee, who set Quebec University Football League single-game marks with 391 rushing yards and 35 carries and tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns Friday night in a 45-21 Gaiters win over McGill.

When I first read that stat line over the weekend, I thought it had to be a typo.  Just incredible stuff.  And it couldn’t happen to a more-deserving, hard-working player. 

Lee, who happens to be the cousin of my former assistant Pickmaster Liz V., has been a dominant back since joining the Gaiters, and there’s no doubt he has the bona fides to bring his game to the next level.

By the way, Lee also debuted at number three on the CFL Scouts list of top CIS prospects this week.  By the time the CFL’s Canadian Draft comes around next spring, he’ll be a first-round lock.

Really quick out to McMaster Marauders pivot Ryan Fantham for his four TD performance that paced Mac to a comeback win over Guelph.  I was starting to think McMaster was going to win the close-but-no-cigar award again until Fantham started bombing.

And finally, 71-0?  BEHAVE Western!

UP NEXT

Check back early next week for my take on week 14’s tilts.  I’ll most likely be crawfishing on those playoff picks, too.

Until then, enjoy the games.

Western @ Queen's
Saturday, Sept. 27
1:00 p.m. ET on The Score

It hasn't been since 2002 when Tommy Denison aired it out in the snow against Western that there's been a Mustangs-Gaels matchup capable of topping that one.

Both teams enter the weekend undefeated; both sit comfortably in the top five of the national rankings; and both have quality wins under their belts heading into this meeting (for the record Western's 70-point victory York is not considered a quality win). 

Queen’s decisive victory over Laurier in Week #3 and Western’s opening-week victory over Ottawa are just a few examples of why both the Mustangs and Gaels have emerged as frontrunners to hoist the 2008 Yates Cup.

With these two teams so evenly matched, look for the play at the quarterback position to be the difference.

Saturday afternoon may be the biggest opportunity of Danny Brannagan’s career. Although Brannagan has played in OUA playoff games in the past, in a lot of ways, this week’s game is an even bigger test for the Burlington, Ontario native.  It's a chance for the fourth-year pivot to not only propel his team to a 5-0 record and sole possession of first in the OUA standings; it's also an opportunity for him to make a jump into the upper echelon of QB's in the league. 

In past years, the OUA has produced a number of stars at the quarterback position and the 2008 campaign is no different. Heading that list of course is Ottawa’s gunslinger Josh Sacobie. And not far behind are names like Michael Faulds (Western) and Justin Dunk (Guelph).  However, in his four-year tenure, Brannagan has yet to join the elite company of OUA quarterbacks.

While it is certainly true that executing in the Queen’s offensive system may not equate to some of the big numbers an offensive system like Ottawa’s can produce - if the Gaels are to solidify themselves as a national contender, Brannagan’s play (along with the rest of the team's) will have to reach a whole new level.

Following their victory over Guelph in Week #2, star running back Mike Giffin was interviewed by The Score’s Glenn Schiiler as player of the game. In his interview he was asked about the potential for this Gaels team to make a run at the Yates and possibly more. His answer (essentially) – Vanier or bust. 

Giffin’s confidence is well founded. He is one of the most dangerous backs in the nation. The Gaels defence is as tough and as disciplined as you’ll find anywhere, while the special-teams units are perhaps second to none in the OUA. 

But if the Vanier is to be hoisted this year by players wearing the tri-colours, it’s the man taking the snaps who will have to transform himself from a capable leader of the offence, to a sure-fire star in this league. 

Somewhere between here and the Vanier, opponents will stack the box and stuff Giffin. Somewhere coverage units will shut down Jim Allin’s return game. And somewhere, the Gaels stingy defence will have a breakdown in coverage or miss a tackle.  That “somewhere” may be this Saturday when the defending Yates Cup champs travel to Kingston.

Whether Brannagan will be able to tame the Western defence is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for sure: around Saturday at 4 p.m., the country will have a very good idea of where Brannagan stands in comparison to the other star quarterbacks in the league.

If you're familiar with this blog you'll know that the Roughriders are pretty much the only team that matters to our readers.

So after losing two straight and three of their last five, I'm almost afraid for the response to our Week 14 rankings:

*Consensus Ranking - Votes from all six bloggers are added together to determine overall ranking in the poll. Eight points are awarded for a first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, etc. Total points are displayed in parentheses in the Consensus column.

Last Week: 1. Saskatchewan (43); 2. Calgary (39); 3. Edmonton (37); 4. Montreal (35); 5. B.C. (26); 6. Winnipeg (16); 7. Toronto (10); 8. Hamilton (9)