Get comfortable, CFL fans. Saturday is going to be a long one. We have four games, eight teams and basically an entire day of CFL football. More importantly, we’re getting to the point of the season where these games are starting to mean a lot more.
Edmonton can officially punch its ticket to the playoffs. Saskatchewan is trying to keep pace with the Elks. Toronto has a chance to strengthen its hold on second place in the East, while Calgary, Winnipeg and BC are all fighting for positioning in a very tight West Division.
Here’s what I’m watching on Super Saturday.
Ottawa REDBLACKS at Toronto Argonauts — 1:00 PM ET
For Toronto, this is a game you simply can’t afford to give away. The Argos sit at 6-6 and have started to put themselves in a much better position in the East, but injuries are becoming a big story.
Polk is out, Jake Herslow is hurt and Cameron Judge is another name dealing with an injury. Even with the injuries, Toronto still has a strong receiving core with Dave Ungerer III , Damonte Coxie and Kevin Mital giving the Argos plenty of weapons through the air.
Ottawa comes into this game still looking for its first win of the season at 0-11.
The REDBLACKS have made a ton of changes, including 12 players being swapped around ahead of Saturday’s game. One thing that hasn’t changed is the starting quarterback.
Jake Maier is still getting the start. I know some Ottawa fans aren’t going to love that, but I actually think it’s the right call. Maier hasn’t been the biggest problem with this football team, and changing quarterbacks just for the sake of changing something isn’t going to fix everything else.
Toronto should win this game, but with all the injuries they’re dealing with, they can’t overlook Ottawa.
Saskatchewan Roughriders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 4:00 PM ET
Welcome to the Banjo Bowl.
Saskatchewan is coming off a wild overtime win over Winnipeg on Labour Day Weekend, and now the Riders have a chance to do it again. The Riders are trying to keep pace with Edmonton and give themselves a chance at finishing first in the West and having the road to the Grey Cup go through Saskatchewan.
Despite what feels like a never-ending injury list this season, this team just keeps rolling.
Trevor Harris has looked better over the last few weeks. A.J. Ouellette remains questionable, but with the limited work he’s been getting this week, I’m not expecting to see much from him Saturday. Let see if all three phases can keep rolling for the Riders
For Winnipeg, this is a huge game.
The Bombers need to start stacking wins if they want a chance to host a playoff game instead of having to walk back into Mosaic Stadium in November. Or heading East via the crossover.
Zach Collaros and Brady Oliveira both looked frustrated after last week’s loss. Wilson being injured will hurt this group but all signs point to Nic Demski getting back in the lineup. He can and should make a huge impact! But can he help this team score more touchdowns?
Now, Winnipeg gets Saskatchewan back in front of their own crowd. And we all know this is going to be loud! If they can find a way to score with more constancy and there defensive line can make more of an impact, I could see them winning this game and giving them a chance at 2nd in the west.
But, we will have to wait and see how they respond.
Calgary Stampeders at Edmonton Elks — 7:00 PM ET
Edmonton can officially become the second team in the CFL to clinch a playoff spot with a win Saturday.
But I want to see a much faster start. The Elks fell behind Calgary early last week before completely flipping the game. You can’t expect to keep getting away with starts like that. For me, Cody Fajardo is the light switch. When he’s rolling and this offence gets moving, Edmonton looks like one of the best teams in the CFL.
Calgary, meanwhile, desperately needs this one.
The Stampeders are starting to fall behind the rest of the West, but they’re getting some big help with Reggie Begelton returning to the lineup. We talked more about Begelton’s return earlier today on The Analyst Desk. Read the story HERE
But at some point Calgary needs wins, not just reasons to believe things are getting better. They don’t seem to play well in all three phases and this has cost them a lot of games this season. Just not being able to make a play when they need it.
If the Stamps can’t find a way to beat Edmonton, their road to the playoffs gets a whole lot harder.
Montreal Alouettes at BC Lions — 10:00 PM ET
BC is another team that really needs this game.
The Lions need to keep pace with everyone else in the West, because there isn’t much room for error right now. Nathan Rourke also needs to get people talking about what he’s doing on the field instead of what he’s saying off it. Rourke was so-so last week, and I think there’s another level there. In front of his home crowd, this would be a pretty good time to find it. I don’t like to put it all on one player but when one player gets paid so much more than the rest, its hard not to.
Matthew Betts is also someone who needs to have a big game. He can be a real game-changer for this defensive line. He can also make life a living hell for any QB.
BC is also holding its first official tailgate outside BC Place, so that place should be rocking Saturday night.
Montreal is in a completely different situation.
The Alouettes have already clinched a playoff spot and have a big lead in the East. I really don’t see Toronto catching them at this point, so I’m interested to see how Montreal approaches the rest of the regular season.
They’re still rolling out the starters Saturday, but they’ll be without running back Travis Theis.
Montreal obviously still wants to win football games, but BC is playing with a completely different level of desperation.
That could make the final game of Super Saturday one of the most interesting games of the day.
Four Games. One Saturday.
By the time Saturday night is over, the CFL playoff picture could look a whole lot clearer.
Edmonton could officially be in. Saskatchewan could keep the pressure on for first place. Winnipeg, BC and Calgary are all fighting for position, Toronto is trying to strengthen its playoff position, and Ottawa is still searching for win number one.
And we’re going to be with you throughout Super Saturday.
Then join us on The Analyst Desk live at 8:15 PM ET on Facebook, YouTube and X as we break down CFL Super Saturday and everything happening across the league.
Rick from Hamilton Sports Central will be doing watch-alongs for all four games, so if you’re watching CFL football all day, come hang out with us.
