3DownNation CFL power rankings: Ticats claw their way back into contention

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

Week 14 of the CFL season is in the books and the playoff race is starting to take shape.

Both division leaders officially clinched their spot in the postseason, while a couple of those behind them suffered setbacks. Still, it seems like just one chair is up for grabs, with an unlikely win from the Ticats giving them the upper hand.

3DownNation’s power rankings are created by having eleven contributors rank each team from No. 1 to No. 9 independently, then averaging out the scores. The previous week’s rankings are in brackets.

Enjoy the rankings and feel free to roast us on Twitter for anything you think we got wrong.

1) Toronto Argonauts (1)

The good ship Argo had plenty of space to sail on the gulf between the two top teams in the East, as Toronto sunk the Alouettes by a decisive 39-10 margin. It was something of a pedestrian day for Chad Kelly but A.J. Ouellette carried the rock to the tune of 105 yards and two touchdowns. Officially clinching the playoffs at 10-1, this Argos team is beginning to enter rarified air only breathed by Doug Flutie in the mid-90s.

2) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2)

A word of advice to the rest of the CFL: don’t get on the Bombers’ bad side. A week after they were upset in overtime, Winnipeg curb-stomped the rival Riders in a 51-6 blowout. Zach Collaros tossed five touchdowns, Dalton Schoen caught three, and Brady Oliveira ran roughshod with 211 all-purpose yards to punch the team’s ticket to the postseason.

3) B.C. Lions (3)

The Lions slept restfully on their final bye week and remain in the hunt for the West Division crown, two games back of the Bombers with a game in hand. A visit from the lowly Redblacks awaits this week and B.C. has plenty of time to make up ground before the season series gets decided in Week 18.

4) Saskatchewan Roughriders (4)

The good news? Saskatchewan still has control of the final playoff spot in the West. The bad news? Any illusions of grandeur triggered by their overtime upset on Labour Day were smashed to smithereens in one of the worst blowout losses in recent memory. Winning the Banjo Bowl was always going to be a tall task, but it might have been nice to see some fight.

5) Montreal Alouettes (5)

Say what you want about the Montreal Alouettes in 2023, but they’ve been remarkably consistent in their approach this season. That is to say, they’ve routinely beaten up basement dwellers while losing to contenders. This latest loss to Toronto was no different, save for an uncharacteristic rough play ejection from receiver Austin Mack. On the bright side, at least some defensive help is on the way in the form of talented linebacker Darnell Sankey.

6) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8)

Virtually everyone had written off Hamilton for playing on three days rest but the Ticats notched a gutsy victory to sweep the season series against Ottawa. Taylor Powell had his best game under centre, throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns, while receiver Tim White hauled in 180 yards and two scores in a breakout performance. The Tabbies are now the frontrunners for the league’s final playoff spot and firmly control their own destiny.

7) Edmonton Elks (7)

It was a downright ugly performance for the first 43 minutes, but Tre Ford found his form in the final 17 to lead a stunning comeback, capped by a walk-off field goal from 36-year-old rookie Dean Faithfull. The Elks have now won three of their last four and two straight at home, with a vastly different outlook than they had just a few weeks ago.

8) Calgary Stampeders (6)

It was one step forward, two steps back for the Stampeders this week, as the team played a near-perfect game until they didn’t. Jake Maier and the offence stalled out in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get a first down to ice the game, putting the team at least two games out of a playoff spot — no matter which Division.

9) Ottawa Redblacks (9)

If you can’t beat a team on three days’ rest when you’re coming off a bye week, then who can you beat? The Redblacks have gone from cardiac kids to cardiac arrest and the end of their six-game losing streak doesn’t seem to be in sight.