POWER RANKINGS

WEEK 12

1. Calgary (1)

The Stamps don’t lose two in a row and they don’t lose at home. As Bo Levi Mitchell and Kamar Jorden strengthen their pitch-and-catch combo, the offence gains steam. And they can still rely on the stingiest defence in the league. Halfway through the season they do not have an equal, and it’s really not even that close.

2. Ottawa (3)

The Redblacks are the latest team to get a bye-week bump, moving up a notch after the Eskimos gagged on a 14-point lead and lost in Hamilton. The Redblacks also get Montreal next, which ought to justify the ranking all the more. Ottawa is the class of the weaker East Division, more than good enough in all three phases of the game.

3. Edmonton (2)

The Eskimos could ill afford a loss heading into a home-and-home series with the league-leading Stamps. But that’s what they deserved, after failing to score a point in the second half. The home-and-home Battle of Alberta can knock them back to .500 and all but out of contention for first place in the West Division. Crunch time.

4. Saskatchewan (4)

Another win and the Riders will become a serious contender for The Team That Will Finish Second To The Stampeders. That victory is likely to happen this long weekend, with the struggling Bombers up next in the cacophonous confines of Mosaic Stadium. Zach Collaros continues to stabilize the offence, while Charleston Hughes and Nick Marshall do the same on defence.

5. Hamilton (8)

This is a pretty serious jump up the rankings for the Tabbies, who are the toughest team to figure out in the East Division. Are they the guys who swept the Eskimos? Or the team that was swept by the Riders? Until QB Jeremiah Masoli straightens out his TDs-to-interceptions ratio, they will be an inconsistent bunch.

6. Winnipeg (5)

Sure, it’s not a crime to lose to the Stampeders; everybody does it. But the way things are going for the Bombers, there are more losses ahead. Starting quarterback Matt Nichols is struggling to get himself and the offence sorted out, while backup Chris Streveler is playing like a man possessed, in admittedly small doses. It’s beginning to look like a recipe for controversy and after Nichols took a swipe at the Investors Group Field boo birds, they surely don’t need any more of that nonsense.

7. B.C. (7)

The Lions are the Tiger-Cats of the West. They have prowled up and down the rankings all year, in search of wins and consistency, not finding enough of either. This surely isn’t the finale that head coach Wally Buono envisioned.

8. Toronto (6)

This is what happens after a loss to Montreal.

9. Montreal (9)

Yes, they beat Toronto. But as head coach Mike Sherman told his team after, that’s only two (bleeping) wins. Beat Ottawa this week and a climb out of the rankings basement will be their just reward.