A few weeks ago, I asked in the 3DownNation group chat who would take over the tradition of ranking all the potential Grey Cup matchups.
Without hesitation, our bearded leader John Hodge said, “You.” I learned a lesson that day in asking questions regarding work. Nevertheless, I’ll give this exercise my best shot as previous contributors Ian Busby and Josh Smith did in the past.
If you think a matchup involving your favourite team is too low, it’s definitely because I hate your team. In my opinion, here are all nine potential Grey Cup matchups: ranked.
9. B.C. vs. Ottawa
Perhaps the most interesting part of this potential matchup is these teams have never met in the Grey Cup before. This could be a game that ends up delivering on the field but other than the fact that B.C. head coach Rick Campbell used to hold the same job in Ottawa — albeit a relatively long time ago, at this point — there aren’t a lot of connections here. Sure, these teams occasionally meet on Labour Day weekend, but that’s only because they don’t have a traditional dance partner.
8. Saskatchewan vs. Ottawa
While I think this game has some decent potential on the field with a pair of good quarterbacks, defences, and respected head coaches, it lacks the overall appeal of some of the other matchups. Ottawa bench boss Bob Dyce was once in Green and White but that feels like a lifetime ago now. A Redblacks win over Saskatchewan would feel like a passing of the torch moment from Trevor Harris to Dru Brown from one generation to another and there’s some Grey Cup history between these teams from many moons ago. With that said, it still wouldn’t have as much juice as most of the games on this list.
7. B.C. vs. Toronto
It wasn’t too long ago that this would have been an “only in the CFL”-type championship game between two teams with the same owner. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Both teams can be good and have good-sized TV markets but it doesn’t feel like a matchup that’s going to capture the imagination of a nation. Since this is the first time Toronto has appeared on this list, I’ll only say this once: the presence of Argonauts’ quarterback Chad Kelly is a negative for any of their potential matchups. Some — myself included — question whether the quarterback should be playing at all this season.
6. Winnipeg vs. Ottawa
These cities have met three times for the Grey Cup but none since the beginning of what is considered the modern CFL with the last meeting being in 1941. There’s some intrigue to Zach Collaros and Dru Brown facing each other here in a teacher vs. student kind of way but otherwise, it doesn’t feel like there’s much meat on the bone here. It would be kind of neat, however, for Winnipeg to complete its tour of East Division Grey Cup opponents, facing all four since 2019.
5. Saskatchewan vs. Toronto
This potential matchup could be a full-circle moment for Riders quarterback Trevor Harris, as Toronto is where he began his CFL career. The veteran potentially getting to lift the Grey Cup for the first time as a starter against the team that brought him to the league seems fitting. These coaching staffs also know each other very well with Riders’ bench boss Corey Mace previously working as Toronto’s defensive coordinator. Mace getting to his first Grey Cup as head coach in his first year against his former team would be quite the story.
4. B.C. vs. Montreal
This was the game a number of us expected at the start of the year and I think we’d all still appreciate seeing these teams on the field on the field at BC Place. Should the Lions get there, it would be quite the turnaround from their second-half struggles. Can quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. stick it to the team that cast him aside or would the Als again be proven right? It would be quite the storyline with a raucous home Grey Cup crowd supporting B.C.
3. Winnipeg vs. Toronto
It’s hard to argue with a game featuring two teams that are peaking at the right time. Since Labour Day, both the Bombers and the Argos have been amongst the league’s best. It seems the Argos have a pretty good blueprint when it comes to beating or at least making life difficult for the Bombers. Both of these teams have played each other enough in recent years, including the Grey Cup in 2022 in Regina, that the chess match between the two would be fun to watch.
2. Winnipeg vs. Montreal
Who doesn’t love a rematch? These two teams had never met in a Grey Cup until last season and the wait was worth it. The Als ended up riding their scorching hot winning streak down the stretch as Cody Fajardo orchestrated a masterful game-winning drive in the game’s final moments, ending in a touchdown pass to Canadian receiver Tyson Philpot. Both teams have been amongst the best for most of the season. While this game probably won’t be an offensive explosion, it would likely be close and dramatic.
1. Saskatchewan vs. Montreal
Even though it’s been 14 years since the Riders and Als played each other in the Grey Cup, these two teams are forever linked in CFL lore. Any time the Saskatchewan Roughriders get called for too many men on the field, it causes a reaction — both groans and laughs — and who doesn’t love when the fans are into it? Cheering against someone is just as fun as if not more fun than cheering for someone. Both of these teams offer up that opportunity along with some juicy storylines of former quarterbacks and a head coach. From a business perspective, there’s no doubt this game would do a huge combined number for Bell Media across CTV, TSN, and RDS.
