Wild West muddies CFL playoff picture
Muddled doesn’t begin to describe the CFL West Division’s playoff picture.
According to the league, a potential of 64 different playoff permutations currently exist. All six remaining West Division regularseason contests have post-season implications with no less than 15 different potential orders of finish possible.
Amazingly, all five West Division teams could possibly host the conference semifinal Nov. 11. The second-place Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-6) can still finish first and have home-field advantage for the West final on Nov. 18.
What’s more, four teams could finish the regular season tied with 10-8 records. There are 10 permutations with potential for seven different three- or four-way ties.
The Calgary Stampeders (12-3) currently hold down first in the West Division, four points ahead of Saskatchewan with a game in hand. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-7) are third, just ahead of the B.C. Lions (8-7) and Edmonton Eskimos (8-8).
Presently, Calgary has clinched a home playoff game, while Saskatchewan has earned a post-season berth. However, again according to the CFL, only four of the 64 possibilities (6.25 per cent) involve the Roughriders overtaking the Stampeders for first.
Calgary needs a tie or win over Saskatchewan to finish first in the West. Saskatchewan would earn a home playoff game with a win over Calgary and B.C. loss or tie. The Lions would clinch a post-season berth by beating Edmonton.
The highest percentage permutation (23 per cent) has Calgary finishing first ahead of Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, B.C. and Edmonton (with the Eskimos missing the playoffs). The next two, each at 16 per cent, have Calgary and Saskatchewan finishing first and second with Winnipeg and Edmonton flip-flopping in third and fourth and B.C. taking fifth to finish out of the post-season.
A fourth scenario (nine per cent) has the following order of finish: Calgary, Saskatchewan, B.C., Winnipeg and Edmonton.
The East Division picture is much clearer with Ottawa (8-7) and Hamilton (8-7) having both clinched home post-season games.
For a record third straight season and 12th time overall, the fourth-place finisher in the West will cross over and become the East’s No. 3 playoff seed, visiting either Hamilton or Ottawa in the division semifinal Nov. 11.