4-0! Woo-hoo! I'm back up there with the big boys.
Let's see if I can do that again.
Montreal @ Hamilton: Hamilton has won 5 straight home games, and have won two of their last three, with the one loss coming in overtime. But they've played sloppy football in all three games, and could easily have lost them all. Montreal has also won two of their last three, with the one loss a controversial one. But since the end of July, this is only the second time they've faced a team with a winning record. Hamilton must win this one, or they lose the series against the Als, whose last six games include two against Toronto and two against Winnipeg. But to do that, the Ticats need to fix some things, most notably their tendency to drop passes, particularly since the Als, who shut down Fred Reid, will likely not have a problem with Cobb. I feel bad being the first to pick against my team...oh, please, let me be wrong on this one! Als by 6.
B.C. @ Calgary: The Lions will again be without Jarious Jackson, who is probably their best quarterback. Buck Pierce struggled at home against the Argos, but managed to put up enough points to win. They're not playing the Argos this week, though. Just as I predicted, Bad Hank showed up in Hamilton last week, and I don't expect to see him for a couple more weeks. Joffrey Reynolds will likely make the Lions' defence look pathetic, as he can do against good defences, and as the Lions have proven themselves to be against lesser backs. Calgary is not likely to lose their second in a row, particularly in front of their home crowd. Stamps by 9.
Toronto @ Winnipeg: Asking which of these teams is better is like asking which Titanic passenger was the last one into the water. But here's my analysis: Winnipeg's pathetic coach is better than Toronto's pathetic coach. Toronto's pathetic QB is better than Winnipeg's pathetic QB. Winnipeg's pathetic receivers are better than Toronto's pathetic receivers. They both have good running backs, but both abandon the run sometime early in the second quarter, regardless of the score. They both have good defences, but it won't matter much because neither is facing an offence that can move the ball. They both have good kickers, which is a pleasant surprise for Winnipeg who hasn't had a good kicker for a while. They are playing in Winnipeg, which should be an advantage for the Bombers, but the Argos won when they played here in July. The difference between them is that the Bombers' last three losses have been by significant margins, while three of the Argos' last four losses have been fairly close. Argos by 1.
Saskatchewan @ Edmonton: The Riders didn't have to wait long to get their chance for revenge. This one is a tough call. Last week I went against conventional wisdom and picked the visitors, and it paid off. This week, I was tempted to pick the home team -- what are the odds that the visitors would win both games? -- until I realized that Edmonton had already beaten Saskatchewan twice. A three-game sweep between teams that are as evenly-matched as these is unlikely. Throw everything else out the window. This one, like the last two between these teams, goes to the visitor. Riders by 4.