With the CFL playoffs set to get underway on Saturday, here’s a look at the nine potential matchups we could see in the 111th Grey Cup.
The 2024 Canadian Football League playoffs are here with the divisional semifinals set to get underway on Saturday.
In the West, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will host the B.C. Lions with the winner advancing to play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Nov. 9 while the Ottawa Redblacks will visit the Toronto Argonauts in the East with the winner moving on to take on the Montreal Alouettes.
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The two divisional champions will then meet in the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver on Nov. 17.
Before we get there, let’s ranks the top Grey Cup matchups that we could potentially see in that game:
This would be the obvious choice for fans of the Roughriders but maybe the best storyline for the entire CFL.
Since being shown the door by the Roughriders after the 2022 season, Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo hasn’t faced his former team as he’s missed the regular season contests between the two teams over the last two years. While there isn’t as much spark with Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris facing his former team, I’m sure current Alouettes head coach Jason Maas would find some motivation against the team that also let him go.
If you’re outside Saskatchewan, this may not be as high on your list but after spending the last two seasons as defensive coordinator with the Argonauts, Corey Mace was hired as head coach of the Roughriders this off-season so who better to face for the championship than his former team?
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Two third-place teams meeting for the Grey Cup? A few upsets would need to happen in the playoffs for us to get this matchup.
There’s also the storyline of Lions coach Rick Campbell facing his former team in what would be a new matchup that would see these teams face each other in the Grey Cup for the first time ever.
The last time Saskatchewan met Ottawa in a Grey Cup was in 1976 when the Roughriders battled the Rough Riders, as Tony Gabriel made “The Catch” to help Ottawa to the 23-20 victory in what is still viewed as one of the most thrilling Grey Cup games of all-time.
Without listing every player or coach who would be facing his former team, Harris did help the Redblacks win a Grey Cup in 2016 while Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce was on Saskatchewan’s staff when the Riders last won in 2013.
The Redblacks are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 while the Bombers would be looking for their third Grey Cup in their fifth straight trip to the championship.
This has a classic David versus Goliath feel and could provide a bit of intrigue with Redblacks quarterback Dru Brown facing his former team.
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Any game that has a team playing at home is cause for a big storyline. Plus, the Lions are looking for their first Grey Cup appearance since 2011.
While B.C. looked like the team to beat to begin the CFL season, they have stumbled in the last several weeks and now have somewhat of a quarterback controversy with Vernon Adams Jr. and Nathan Rourke.
In what would be a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup game that saw Montreal win 28-24, this is another matchup that would provide a great game.
Winnipeg could continue to prove their dynasty is not done yet while the Alouettes still feel they don’t get the respect they deserve. A second straight title would squash all of that.
This would be a rematch of the 2022 Grey Cup in Regina that saw the Argonauts shock the Bombers and the league with a 24-23 victory at Mosaic Stadium, which snapped Winnipeg’s chances of a third straight championship.
While it appears the window is closing on Winnipeg’s dynasty, if the Bombers get back into the Grey Cup, it will live on for another season. If they lose in the title game though, it will only add to the questions around the team’s future.
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However, this matchup feels stale if you’re outside of the two fan bases.
Copy and paste any above answer about a team playing at home in the Grey Cup. Or am I missing something?
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