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Rick Zamperin: 2017 Vanier Cup could be the best ever

Laval Rouge et Or's Christopher Amoah (20) hoists the Vanier Cup after defeating the Calgary Dinos to win the U Sports Vanier Cup football championship, in Hamilton, Ont., on Saturday, November 26, 2016.
Laval Rouge et Or's Christopher Amoah (20) hoists the Vanier Cup after defeating the Calgary Dinos to win the U Sports Vanier Cup football championship, in Hamilton, Ont., on Saturday, November 26, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

This weekend’s Vanier Cup is the best matchup organizers could have hoped for.

OK, a McMaster vs. Laval title game probably was the number one choice of those planning Saturday’s Canadian university football championship.

Western vs. Laval is the next best thing, and some would argue even better for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, the Mustangs and the Rouge et Or are the two most decorated football programs in USports history.

This will be Western’s all-time high 13th trip to the Vanier Cup.

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The Quebec powerhouse has made 10 previous trips to the big game, and have won nine of those games, losing only in 2011 to McMaster.

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Saturday also marks Greg Marshall’s return to Hamilton after he built the Marauders into a force and led the Ticats to the playoffs in his first year as a CFL head coach in 2004.

The Rouge et Or are searching for their record-high 10th Vanier Cup crown and are the defending champions.

And this is a program that has only been around since 1999.

What head coach Glen Constantin has done during his time at Laval has been nothing short of remarkable.

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So now that you’re hooked and looking forward to attending the game, who’s going to win?

10-1 Laval, by all accounts, should win the game… they are the top seed.

But the Mustangs are 11-0 and are playing their best football.

I have literally flipped a coin and going with Western to beat Laval 29-27.

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