This is the time of year when CFL teams want to be playing their best football.
It’s playoff time — at least for the six clubs who advanced to the league’s post-season.
Calgary and Ottawa will enjoy an opening-round bye after finishing in first place in the West and East Divisions, respectively, leaving Saskatchewan to host Winnipeg and Hamilton to entertain B.C. in the division semifinals.
This Sunday’s Roughriders-Blue Bombers game will be the first Saskatchewan-Winnipeg playoff showdown in Regina since 1975 (the Riders won that game 42-24).
The Ticats and Lions will meet at Tim Hortons Field in an early elimination game on Sunday. The last time they met in the playoffs was in 2009, when B.C. beat Hamilton 34-27 in overtime at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
In their last six regular season games, both the Roughriders and the Blue Bombers have five wins, the Lions are 3-3, and the Ticats are 2-4 after having lost their last three in a row.
Playoff football is a whole different animal. Toss the records out the window. Forget what happened during the regular season. It’s win or go home — winner takes all.
Hamilton and Saskatchewan should have the edge in round one because they’re at home, but there’s no guarantee they pull it off. That’s why they play the games.
I’ll pick my winners later this week, but as of this moment, I’m leaning toward the home teams.