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johnson"},{"term":"do not adjust your set"},{"term":"funding"},{"term":"host berths"},{"term":"international basketball"},{"term":"interviews"},{"term":"journalism"},{"term":"mud fights"},{"term":"schedules"},{"term":"technical difficulties"},{"term":"ted goveia"},{"term":"tiering"},{"term":"tragedy"},{"term":"trinity western"},{"term":"trivia"},{"term":"university sport"},{"term":"Étienne Légaré"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The CIS Blog"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"News and notes on U SPORTS - even if we refuse to change our name"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/Bisons?alt=json-in-script"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/search\/label\/Bisons"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/Bisons\/-\/Bisons?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"290"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1679093390500341981"},"published":{"$t":"2019-02-18T20:01:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-02-25T17:20:22.602-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pandas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stingers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tommies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Women's Puck Bracketology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Women's Puck Bracketology: Canada West has the slipperiest slope"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Well that is nice — New Brunswick won a playoff round in its first season back. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWHKY: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNBWHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UNBWHockey\u003C\/a\u003E scores twice in final 1:54 to beat \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UPEIPanthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UPEIPanthers\u003C\/a\u003E 4-3 and earn berth in Subway \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AUS_SUA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@AUS_SUA\u003C\/a\u003E semi-finals.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MZ7omgs7WB\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/MZ7omgs7WB\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RedsNation?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#RedsNation\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AllReds?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#AllReds\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yXsQJFCS1f\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/yXsQJFCS1f\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UNB Reds (@UNBAthletics) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UNBAthletics\/status\/1097263204135100418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EFebruary 17, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EWhatever fate awaits those Varsity Reds, being this competitive under coach Sarah Hilworth and an obviously rookie-filled roster is national coach-of-the-year material. It likely speaks to more than just a wrong being remedied through the courts, but also to the investment in female hockey across Western Canada, where 13 V-Reds hail from, including AUS save percentage leader\u003Cb\u003E Kendra Holland\u003C\/b\u003E and team scoring leader\u003Cb\u003E Tamina Kehler\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe result leaves nationals host UPEI with a 24-day layoff before hosting the March 14-17 tournament.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe need-to-know is that the four conference winners get the top four seeds in order of national ranking. The four assigned berth\/host teams are arranged in a way that eliminates the possibility of a same-conference semifinal matchup. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo what chaotic outcome should one root for?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EManitoba and Montréal to win Canada West and the RSEQ, respectively, triggering a great debate over who should be the No. 1 seed, with a commensurate domino effect in the rest of the bracket. Nothing against Alberta, but the No. 1-ranked Pandas rolling through the league playoffs would just make the seeding committee's job easier.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe biggest gap between champion berth and assigned berth is in Canada West, based on the rankings of those Pandas and Bisons.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAny upset that affects the three auto-berths that involve winning two playoff series, which are AUS champion, OUA champion and OUA assigned. The lonely always need a feel-good story from these obscure leagues, so someone better summon a 70-save shutout in a triple-overtime game.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnd, obviously, UNB to make it interesting down east.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe all-chalk, at-first-blush, look at nationals seeding is as follows: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlberta (Canada West champion).\u003C\/b\u003E The Pandas and Carabins are level on two national titles in this decade, so bragging rights are at stake.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontréal (RSEQ champion). \u003C\/b\u003EBeing the regular-season champion in a three-deep league has its earned privileges. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESt. Thomas (AUS champion).\u003C\/b\u003E Semifinal opponent depends on the Moncton-Saint Mary's result on Tuesday.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph (OUA champion).\u003C\/b\u003E Interestingly, Guelph took the L the last time out against both Western and Toronto, potential McCaw Cup final opponents.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EConcordia (RSEQ assigned).\u003C\/b\u003E Has won the two most recent games against McGill, which it faces in the best-of-3 league semifinal this week.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba (Canada West assigned).\u003C\/b\u003E It was not long ago yours truly worked in a decent-sized Manitoba town and there was no organized female hockey. Now look! \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern (OUA assigned).\u003C\/b\u003EYours truly spends way too much time on a Facebook group called For The Love of Uniforms. So the fact that the women's and men's hockey teams at that school in London do not dress out in head-to-toe purple and white seems like a real sartorial affront. Black hockey helmets and pants are more easily acquired, sure, but it just looks off when the sweaters and gloves don't contain any black.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe schedule is out for the 1st round of women's hockey. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternWHKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternWHKY\u003C\/a\u003E team takes on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WlooWarriors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WlooWarriors\u003C\/a\u003E starting Wednesday night at home.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/westernu?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#westernu\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U77kAfeiIp\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/U77kAfeiIp\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Western Mustangs (@WesternMustangs) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs\/status\/1097623337621221377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EFebruary 18, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EHere is the schedule for the next round of playoffs for men's hockey. This round will see them take on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrockBadgers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@BrockBadgers\u003C\/a\u003E starting Wednesday night.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/westernu?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#westernu\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/83zWpdywqv\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/83zWpdywqv\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Western Mustangs (@WesternMustangs) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs\/status\/1097622634597093376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EFebruary 18, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUPEI (host team). \u003C\/b\u003ESo neither the University Cup host, Lethbridge, or Golden Path Trophy host, UPEI, managed to win a playoff game, which means \u003Cb\u003EDavid Branch \u003C\/b\u003Ehas more influence over the university game than we ever imagined. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1679093390500341981\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2019\/02\/womens-puck-bracketology-canada-west.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1679093390500341981"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1679093390500341981"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2019\/02\/womens-puck-bracketology-canada-west.html","title":"Women's Puck Bracketology: Canada West has the slipperiest slope"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7077024032233525250"},"published":{"$t":"2017-07-13T22:47:00.005-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-07-14T11:42:12.858-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"McMaster Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Regina Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Ultimate U Sports all-star team — one player per school for 27 positions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oit2QtTW4T4\/WWD4xR2W5sI\/AAAAAAAADO0\/i0Ufczw22vwMCdqSrJDux0tlvkae2FN9ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/Akiem%2BHicks%252C%2BRams%2Band%2BBears.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oit2QtTW4T4\/WWD4xR2W5sI\/AAAAAAAADO0\/i0Ufczw22vwMCdqSrJDux0tlvkae2FN9ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/Akiem%2BHicks%252C%2BRams%2Band%2BBears.jpeg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EAkiem Hicks with the Regina Rams in 2011 and with the CFL's Chicago Bears in 2016, when he had seven sacks.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EThere are 27 football-playing universities across our country. There are also, give or take a special teams selection, 27 spots to fill when an all-star team is chosen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA fun writing exercise — read: it's summer and there's not a lot going on — was hatched from that numerical coincidence. Pick an all-star team drawing from the past 40-some years of the university game while using\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eonly one player from each team\u003C\/i\u003E. No loading the lines with Lavals (any number of CFL all-star linemen), or stacking the team with 'Stangs (do you pick two-time Hec Crighton Trophy winner\u003Cb\u003E Tim Tindale \u003C\/b\u003Ewho went on to NFL glory with the Buffalo Bills or record-setting receiver \u003Cb\u003EAndy Fantuz\u003C\/b\u003E, who won a receiving title in the CFL?)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETalk about a Sophie's Choice, although this does not purport to be some all-time all-star team. Leaving out defunct programs (or the departed, hey there Simon Fraser) means being unable to select a legit legend such as \u003Cb\u003ETony Proudfoot\u003C\/b\u003E, since he played at the University of New Brunswick.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother controlled variable was confining choices to a loosely defined modern era. A hard-line historian type would say the modern era begins in 1965 with the establishment of the Vanier Cup. Or 1967, the centennial year, when the format went from an invitational to a four-team playoff, 47 years before the U.S. finally got one. As a habitual goalpost-mover, I'll slide the start of the modern era to some point around 1971, when the Old Four (Queen's, Western, McGill and University of Toronto) was phased out and the current four-conference alignment began taking shape in earnest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EWithout further ado, here's a squad that reflects the best of each and every program from Acadia on the east coast to to UBC on the west coast and all points in between.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESpecial thanks for this post to Jim Mullin, who was great with putting forward some 1970s players.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDefence\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive end — Leroy Blugh, Bishop's (Edmonton, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EBlugh was a prototype for the Canadian pass rusher as an all-Canadian at Bishop's when the \u003Cb\u003EIan Breck\u003C\/b\u003E's Gaiters punched above their weight on the regular in the 1980s. Born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, raised in Napanee, Ont., Blugh twice had double-digit sack totals during his Gaiters years. From there, he played 15 seasons in the CFL, 14 with Edmonton, during a Canadian Football Hall of Fame career.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlugh has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/montrealgazette.com\/sports\/football\/cfl\/herb-zurkowsky-tackling-cancer-diabetes-puts-life-in-perspective-for-cfl-great-leroy-blugh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edealt with cancer and diabetes in recent years\u003C\/a\u003E, but still works in football as the defensive line coach for the Ottawa Redblacks. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive tackle — Israel Idonije, Manitoba (Chicago Bears, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EA true Canadian success story, having gone from playing one high school season on a re-constituted team to making the NFL as an undrafted free agent who had a long-term career at both end and D-tackle. Idonije, fittingly for someone who played in Chicago, was also a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award finalist for his humanitarian work with children in Africa, Manitoba and Chicago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIdonije, if memory serves, was a defensive end during his U of M days, but he can slide inside for purposes of making an imaginary lineup of football players.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive tackle — Akiem Hicks, Regina (New Orleans Saints, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EWell, it wouldn't be a complete list without a Californian who found succor in Canada West. Wait, this isn't a basketball article. The great thing about university sport is that the tent is big enough to accommodate Americans who, to put it elegantly, fall off the conveyor belt of the shamateur sports-industrial complex down south and need a Plan B.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHicks, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/sports\/football\/hickss-path-to-the-2012-nfl-draft-has-been-a-long-one\/article4102628\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eafter his plans to play at LSU were thwarted\u003C\/a\u003E, found a home playing at the U of R in 2010 and '11, becoming the first Ram to be taken in the NFL draft.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELong-time Seattle Seahawks punter\u003Cb\u003E Jon Ryan \u003C\/b\u003Elikely also gets the honourable mention from the Rams' alumni roll.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive end — Ricky Foley, York (Argonauts, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EThe first really tough choice on a school representative, as the pick from the Lions boiled down to either Foley or running back\u003Cb\u003E Andre Durie\u003C\/b\u003E. In the end, the difference in stature between the two long-time Toronto Argonauts mainstays wasn't as big as it was between two other OUA running backs extraordinaire from early aughts (oh, guess which ones) and other possibilities from their respective teams.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThree of the four defensive line picks have small-town roots. Foley came out of Courtice, Ont., to develop at York, before going on to an 11-year CFL career that included contributing to three Grey Cup-winning teams. It's a shame his playing days might have ended so inelegantly — \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/sports\/football\/cfl\/ricky-foley-argos-released-by-text-1.4050503\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egetting cut from the Argos by text message\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;— but what endures is about Foley with the Argonauts is that he \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ublicly%20stuck%20up%20for%20and%20believed%20wholeheartedly%20in%20his%20hometown%20organization%20when%20others%20wouldn%E2%80%99t.\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Epublicly stuck up for and believed wholeheartedly in his hometown organization when others wouldn’t\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELinebacker — Michael O'Shea, Guelph (Ticats and Argonauts, CFL).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EBreaking this team down to distinct defensive and offensive line positions is way too granular, even for this blog. It is safe to say O'Shea is the Mike linebacker.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou already know the boilery stuff with O'Shea — second player in CFL history to record 1,000 career tackles across 16 seasons on each side of the Argos-Ticats rivalry. One seared memory is of his first go-round in Hamilton in the mid-1990s. The Tiger-Cats were a gong show for pretty much the whole decade, but you couldn't laugh at them as long as the Canadian linebacker from North Bay was out there competing so intensely.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EO'Shea's string of championships include leading Guelph to a Yates Cup in 1992.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELinebacker — Jason Van Geel, Waterloo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003ERunning back\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMike Bradley\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eis the ultimate Warrior, of course, and could fill the role of \"national player who's third on the depth chart at running back and plays on all special teams,\" since that's what Bradley did for six seasons in the CFL with Edmonton. Bradley's position, though, has competition.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat shifted the Warriors' shortlist over to the dark side, defence, and it came down to same-name stars from Waterloo's first Yates Cup winner in 1997, Van Geel at linebacker and\u003Cb\u003E Jason Tibbits \u003C\/b\u003Eat cornerback. Twenty years ago this fall, Van Geel was the national defensive player of the year after helping Waterloo reach a summit many UW folk probably thought was unattainable in the days when the school set a dubious mark for consecutive football losses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first point of reference with those Waterloo teams that won the Yates in '97 and '99 — against Western at J.W. Little Stadium both times, the latter time in the final game there — is probably the offence. Tuffy Knight had the Warriors running the wishbone, with Ryan Wilkinson as the triple-option triggerman. The second point of reference, of course, is that a Waterloo guy got tackled illegally by Ottawa's mascot during the '97 national semifinal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, the Warriors also had success they had never seen before (or since) because they played some great defence. Van Geel was at the forefront of that, and Tibbits (a five-times OUA all-star, four times at corner and once as a returner) covered things well on the back end.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELinebacker — Frank Balkovec, University of Toronto (Edmonton, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EHere's your hook for this linebacker selection: Balkovec \u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ewas the top pick back in 1984 after playing just a single season of football for the Varsity Blues\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBalkovec, at least from a three-decades-removed vantage point, embodies a bygone era before everyone and everything became over-scheduled and multi-sport student-athletes were still easy to find. Everything is more intense now and in some ways we're poorer for it.\u0026nbsp;Balkovec was a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/varsityblues.ca\/hof.aspx?hof=149\u0026amp;path=row\u0026amp;kiosk=\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethree-sport guy at U of T\u003C\/a\u003E who contributed to a Yates-winning team in 1983 and was also a three-time Canadian champion in indoor shot put. After university, he was an eight-year CFLer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back — Marc-Olivier Brouillette, Montreal (Alouettes, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EWait, is this based on university feats or pro accomplishments? To quote Abe Simpson, it's a little from Column A, a little from Column B. Brouillette converted from quarterback with the Carabins to a hard-hitting defensive player with the CFL's Als, playing both safety and linebacker.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrouillette recently retired as a player to pursue a legal career. He was a CFL East all-star in 2016, so he ended on a personal high note.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back — Mark Montreuil, Concordia (San Diego Chargers, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EBefore Laval, Montréal and Sherbrooke came along to create a truly Quebec conference, Montreuil came up through the North Shore Broncos juniors and the Stingers to make the NFL. The cornerback, who remains the last Stinger chosen in the NFL draft, played three seasons with the San Diego Chargers and also played in NFL Europe with the late and lamented London Monarchs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn alternate from the Stingers is linebacker \u003Cb\u003ECory Greenwood\u003C\/b\u003E, an undrafted free agent who was a special teams player for Kansas City earlier this decade. Greenwood is the second-most accomplished Kingston, Ont., athlete to wear No. 93.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back —\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurent Deslauriers, UBC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EA \u003Cb\u003EJim Mullin \u003C\/b\u003Enomination, Deslauriers was an all-Canadian and Vanier Cup champion for the Thunderbirds and a CFL West all-star and Grey Cup champion as a pro with Edmonton. Deslauriers was primarily a defensive halfback — by the way, isn't that position due for a renaming? — but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gothunderbirds.ca\/hof.aspx?hof=40\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewas dominant in all three phases\u003C\/a\u003E. He set still-extant school records as a return man and played slotback when the Thunderbirds won the Vanier in 1982.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back —\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPaul Bennett, Laurier. \u003C\/b\u003ESomething about Canadian football that's often lost on its detractors is how it still makes room for a certain amount of community spirit and volunteerism. (Some of that is borne from necessity; or as one former player once put it to me, \"everyone knows there's no money in Canadian football.\")\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat was cool, at least to an incorrigible sports nerd, about reading up on Bennett, was a testimonial from \u003Cb\u003EScott Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E about how \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mytoba.ca\/news\/paul-bennett-still-a-manitoba-hero\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehis greatest work might have come after he left the game\u003C\/a\u003E.\" Bennett, a volunteer high school coach in Winnipeg, also came up with the idea of creating community recognition awards for people \"who have devoted their lives to acting without thought of reward for themselves.\" That speaks to the personalities that football developed in the 1960s and '70s, people were about social justice.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUntil last year, Bennett was the only Ontario conference player with five punt return touchdowns in one season.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back — Richard Karikari, St. Francis Xavier. \u003C\/b\u003EIt was a six-of-one decision with St. FX, since linebacker\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EHenoc Muamba \u003C\/b\u003Eand now-retired defensive back Karikari have each been CFL all-star selections. Muamba was also a league-wide pick whereas Karikari was a East selection.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, Karikari might have been a more impactful university player. In the early aughts, he gave the X-Men that \"offensive defensive back,\" as a pass defender who was also a touchdown threat as a return man. It's relatively rare for a defensive player to be a finalist for the Hec Crighton, but Karikari achieved that in 2002.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt goes without saying that the greatest X-Men footballer remains\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EPaul Brule\u003C\/b\u003E, who scored 45 touchdowns in two seasons — including eight in one game — in the 1960s.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether it's Karikari or Muamba from St. FX, five of the 12 defensive players were born outside Canada. \u003Ci\u003EBig tent, people!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOffence\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Miles Gorrell, Ottawa (Stampeders, Concordes, Rough Riders, Ticats and Blue Bombers, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EThe roster would be incomplete if the Gee-Gees rep was someone who was not part of the all-time dominant 1975 team. Gorrell might be the first person to gently point out he was in his first season on the varsity in '75. However, one can only extrapolate how good he must have been in his final season with the Gees, 1977, in order to rate being named team MVP whilst at a position that generally gets the least attention.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat period where Gorrell \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawasun.com\/2013\/10\/02\/ottawa-redblacks-scout-miles-gorrell-entering-canadian-football-hall-of-fame\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egrew up in Ottawa\u003C\/a\u003E\" sowed the seeds for an association with the CFL that's gone on almost 40 years. As a scout, Gorrell had a vital role in helping the CFL's Redblacks win the Grey Cup as a third-year team in 2016.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wasn't alive in 1975, but those Gee-Gees \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/sports\/football\/fast-football-friends-1975-gee-gees-walk-in-glory-together\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Estill have a hold on the city's sports imagination, especially among sportswriters of a particular vintage\u003C\/a\u003E. They are the only football team ever inducted into the city's sports hall of fame.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Mike Schad, Queen's (Philadelphia Eagles, NFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;A personal reason for getting emotionally invested in university football as an adolescent around 1989 was the discovery that Schad, who blocked for my first favourite football player, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback \u003Cb\u003ERandall Cunningham\u003C\/b\u003E, had grown up 30 minutes down the 401 in Belleville, Ont, and had played at Queen's, not one of those U.S. football factories featured on ABC and CBS on Friday afternoons. \u003Ci\u003EWow, he made it from here to the NFL\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGranted, there were other reasons for becoming a hardcore football fan around that point in my miseducation (one, my mother went back to school and that created a bond to Queen's and two, I kept getting cut from rep teams in hockey and fast-pitch softball and was too short for basketball, so football became the refuge for my sports fantasies). But enough about me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchad remains the lone Canadian university player ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft, going No. 23 overall to the L.A. Rams in 1986. His NFL years were spent mostly in Philly, where he played guard on some teams that were playoff regulars. Going in the first round is a singular achievement unlikely to ever be matched. Every year around NFL draft time when my Twitter timeline fills with updates on Canadian players who might get picked up in the seventh round or get a mini-camp invite I can't help but have a haughty internal response (poor character, I know): \u003Ci\u003EYeah, but my alma mater produced a NFL first-round pick.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Pierre Lavertu, Laval (Stampeders, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EProof positive that the upper crust of university football has pro-ready graduates. Lavertu has yet to dress out for Calgary this season due to injuries, but as interior lineman who can play centre or guard, he has been part of a Stampeders offensive line that has arguably has the most sustained success of any position group in the CFL since 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELavertu was an RSEQ all-star in all four of his seasons with the Rouge et Or from 2010-13 and since he was at Laval, you know all four of those seasons involved making it to the last game of the season. It seems fitting that the power program of the past two decades is represented by an offensive lineman. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, McGill (Kansas City Chiefs, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EStarting guard on a playoff team, while also working toward becoming a doctor. Duvernay-Tardif and his ghostwriter at \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theplayerstribune.com\/le-docteur-laurent-duvernay-tardif-kansas-city-chiefs\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Players' Tribune can explain that better than I can\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe McGill \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/sports\/football\/j-p-darche-and-laurent-duvernay-tardif-tread-remarkably-similar-paths\/article33888922\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ealternate is also a doctor who played in the NFL with Kansas City\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJean-Philippe Darche\u003C\/b\u003E. A linebacker at the university level, Darche was a long snapper in the NFL and played in Super Bowl 40 with the Seahawks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line —\u0026nbsp;Scott Flory, Saskatchewan (Alouettes, CFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;It could be either Flory or Gene Makowsky repping Huskie Pride.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFlory: 15 seasons with the same CFL team, nine-time all-star, two-time Outstanding Offensive Lineman recipient, president of the CFL Players' Association, now helping coach the Huskies\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMakowsky, 17 seasons with the same CFL team, five-time all-star, now a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Saskatchewan, deadpan \u003Ci\u003ECorner Gas \u003C\/i\u003Eguest spot.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETheir teams went head-to-head in the 2009 and '10 Grey Cup games. Flory's team won both. So, totally arbitrarily, Flory \u0026gt; Makowsky, although the latter played more offensive tackle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf positional integrity is a must, there are Laval and Saskatchewan alumni who currently start at right tackle in the CFL — \u003Cb\u003EJason Lauzon-Séguin\u003C\/b\u003E with Ottawa and\u003Cb\u003E Patrick Neufeld \u003C\/b\u003Ewith Winnipeg.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn to the GLORY BOYS:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Andy Fantuz, Western (Roughriders, CFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Granted, offensive stats accumulated in the '00s-era OUA have to be taken with the same grain of salt as scoring stats from the 1980s NHL, but it's wild to revisit just how far ahead of everyone Fantuz is on the career lists for yards and receiving touchdowns. His tally of 4,123 in the former is almost 1,000 ahead of \u0026nbsp;the next most prolific pass receiver and his 41 TD catches (remember, regular season only) is eight more than the next guy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo put the second one in perspective: \u003Cb\u003EDanny Vandervoort\u003C\/b\u003E, who is getting his feet wet at slotback with the B.C. Lions, averaged almost one touchdown per game across four seasons with McMaster. He finished 12 TDs shy of Fantuz' mark.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFantuz delivered on his potential over 11 seasons in the CFL, with the high point coming in 2010 when his league-most 1,380 yards made him the first Canadian to win a receiving title since another 'Stang, \u003Cb\u003EDave Sapunjis\u003C\/b\u003E, back in 1995.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Brian Fryer, Alberta (Washington, NFL; Edmonton, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EA \"first\" guy — the first Canadian university receiver to gain 1,000 yards in a season and the first player, full stop, to be drafted by a NFL team and go directly into the league, as he played for the Washington NFL team during the American bicentennial year of 1976. Out of context, that's impressive enough, but in context it stands out even more since that was during the\u003Cb\u003E George Allen \u003C\/b\u003Eera in D.C. and Allen was known to over-emphasize playing veterans.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter calling it a career on the field — with a Vanier Cup title with the Golden Bears and a role in the five-in-a-row Edmonton CFL dynasty —\u0026nbsp;he made a successful move into a second career as executive director of Football Alberta.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Don Blair, Calgary (Lions, CFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;The first non-lineman to represent Canada in the East-West Shrine Game showcase! The Dinos have had their share of superlative offences and individual talents over the last four decades. It will take something ludicrous to bump out the seared image of the 1995 Vanier Cup, when Blair scored four touchdowns (three receiving, one by recovering a blocked punt) when Calgary dropped 54 points on Western. Fun fact, unless you're from London: the Dinos did most of the damage with their backup quarterback after the starter was knocked out of the game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlair was a No. 1 overall choice who had a stellar CFL career. Like Fantuz and Fryer, he set a national receiving record and won the Hec Crighton. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Samuel Giguère, Sherbrooke (Ticats and Alouettes, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EThe second-newest program manages to sneak a player in at a deep position. While Sherbrooke has generally been the Partick Thistle to Laval and Montréal's Celtics and Rangers in the Quebec conference, the small school has helped a few individual talents blossom over their 14 seasons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiguère was one of the first bona fide prospects to emerged at Sherbrooke, possessing enough specs to earn a couple NFL trials before returning north to fulfill the role of national wide-side receiver. Now 33 years old, he's playing for the Alouettes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother Vert et Or receiver who's in the CFL, \u003Cb\u003ESimon Charbonneau\u003C\/b\u003E, could have also been the pick. Charbonneau was borderline unstoppable in the 2010 Dunsmore Cup when Sherbrooke nearly upset Laval. (That day, we were just a couple plays away from an Ottawa-Sherbrooke Uteck Bowl instead of a been-there-done-that Western-Laval matchup.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERunning back — Daryl Stephenson, Windsor (Blue Bombers, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EIn 2006, there was some discord when Stephenson won the Hec Crighton, but it wasn't about him. It was more about having seven winners in a row from the OUA. To some extent, and I didn't articulate this well enough at that time, it was also about the virtues and drawbacks of the \"career award bias,\" so-called. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELikewise, for reasons having nothing to do with Stephenson, the only rusher to ever top 5,000 career yards, this was the hardest piece of the puzzle. First it involved whether to have a fifth pass receiver to reflect the Canadian game of 2017 instead of a second running back. There was also a thought that the choice should reflect that this fictional team would actually play against fictional juggernaut, like the Monstars with Laval's and UBC's combined budget. That would mean giving some weight to receiving skills.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately, though, better to have a second running back. That brought it down to, as hinted in the preamble, the three star rushers from the early-aughts: Stephenson of Windsor, Durie of York and, you guessed it, \u003Cb\u003EJesse Lumsden\u003C\/b\u003E of McMaster. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately, the (ir-)rationale was that Stephenson exemplifies the best of Windsor so much more than anyone else. He was a dogged competitor and gave everything to make Windsor, for a time, a playoff team. As a pro, he also made a great adjustment to being a depth player with the Blue Bombers, which surely must be tough for university players who are used to being the focal point as a feature back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo that's how it turned out: Stephenson in, Lumsden over to the bobsleigh track.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERunning back \u0026nbsp;— Éric Lapointe, Mount Allison (Alouettes, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003ELapointe is in the Hall of Fame as an amateur player, but it could just as easily be as builder. I'll just do a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/neatesager.blogspot.ca\/2007\/02\/ric-lapointes-lasting-impact-just-ask.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emini-oral history from some people who were around him every day at Mount A\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMathieu Gauthier, defensive end:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Éric was one of the first French football players to make it into the mainstream pop culture in Quebec ... One quick example of his influence is in a recent recruiting event at a Montreal CEGEP. While the MTA recruiters had qualified only 5-6 guys who seamed like a right fit for MTA (only these kids got an invitation to the event), 34 kids showed up for the presentation when they learned that Éric Lapointe was going to be there.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"He certainly had an influence on a generation of kids, who chose football instead of hockey and other sports.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJorge Barrera, a Mounties rookie in 1995 who is now an investigative reporter with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Éric Lapointe had the aura of a star the moment he walked into the Mount Allison football locker room in his rookie year. While other rookies were subjected to the humiliating rituals of initiation, Lapointe moved above it all, his hair long and safe from the clippers.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"On the field he made things simple for his coaches. The offensive co-ordinator once remarked that running the Mt. A. offence with Lapointe was like playing Nintendo football: Sweep right, sweep left and Lapointe outran them all.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJulian Dickinson, receiver: \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"If you never saw him play at Mount Allison, you have no idea how good he really was. There was one play that probably best illustrates what he could do on the football field and what he could do for a team. It was 1996, Eric's second year. We were playing St. FX in the AUAA finals in Antigonish and we got absolutely pummelled in the first half. We must have been down at least three touchdowns and I'm sure most people in the locker room thought that game was over.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"But Eric came out in the second half and ripped off a 99-yard run that snaked all over the field, left about 10 defenders rolling on their bellies in the mud and ended with Eric in the end zone. It was the best individual play I've ever seen in a football game. He went on to rush for about 300 yards that game and brought us within a few points of winning that game. And this wasn't a cupcake defence. There were All-Canadians on the X defence, which would eventually play in the Vanier Cup.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"It was an amazing feat. At the end of the game he was bloody, bruised, covered in mud and his jersey was torn like he'd been through a war. I remember he did a TV interview after the game with his helmet on because he was so busted up about losing, he couldn't show his face.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwenty-three spots down. By process of elimination, you should know who is QB1.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQuarterback — Chris Flynn, Saint Mary's (Montreal Machine, World League; Rough Riders, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003ENo. Words. Necessary.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/S4P12kfxMNk\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S4P12kfxMNk?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Flynn legend only grows with time, perhaps in part since it was an unfinished symphony-type thing since there was no second act in the CFL.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESpecialists\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKicker \u0026nbsp;— Al Charuk, Acadia (Lions, Argonauts).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Total Calvinball cop-out with choosing the \u003Ci\u003Ebotteur\u003C\/i\u003E, since it's more about picking a definitive Acadia player whose feats included using his foot. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a four-season span in the 1970s, Acadia had three Hec Crighton winners — Charuk in '74, followed by The Bobs back-to-back with receiver\u003Cb\u003E Bob Stracina \u003C\/b\u003Eand quarterback \u003Cb\u003EBob Cameron \u003C\/b\u003Ein '76 and '77. \u0026nbsp;In 2014, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/usports\/top-50-cis-football-players-of-vanier-cup-era\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E ranked Cameron the 28th-best player of the Vanier Cup era with Charuk 35th and Stracina 37th. The former, of course, punted in the CFL for nigh on a quarter-century. Charuk and Stracina, between scoring touchdowns and placekicker, each scored more than 100 points in a season for Acadia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe default selection was Cameron, due in perhaps to a stronger association since he had the longest pro career. On second thought, Charuk was a two-way player who won the Hec as a defensive back — where he once had a 10-interception season — and fashioned a CFL career as a receiver.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERush cover — Jason Arakgi, McMaster (Lions).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;As the man himself put it, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/vancouversun.com\/sports\/football\/cfl\/bc-lions\/jason-arakgi-qa-on-the-art-of-the-tackle-anthropology-and-furniture-building\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eyou're only as good as the bottom guy\u003C\/a\u003E\" and well, Arakgi is the CFL's career leader in special teams tackles and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3downnation.com\/2016\/08\/18\/life-outside-spotlight-fine-arakgi\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eplayed on all special teams even in his final season, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E. One could also hold up his career arc — \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bclions.com\/2017\/06\/19\/jason-arakgi-story-quiet-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Espend nine seasons all with one team, perform a significant function very well and then leave the game on one's own terms to step into a second career\u003C\/a\u003E — as a good example for young athletes to emulate. Only a very, very few get to play forever, but there are other entry points to parlaying athletic aptitude into a good life.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReturner — Tunde Adeleke, Carleton (Stampeders).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Special teams touchdowns are supposed to be a rare treat, but Adeleke made them a staple in Carleton's offensive diet over his four seasons. In 2016, he became the first player since\u003Cb\u003E Paul Bennett \u003C\/b\u003Ewith five punt return touchdowns in one season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LWAfpV3myPU\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LWAfpV3myPU?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was just wild how people around the Ravens just came to expect the brilliant breakaway runs. Like no one before him (at least in my time), Adeleke combined with psychic peripheral vision with high-class wheels, since he also had the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2017 CFL combine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFeel free to disagree with the selections, or the process. But please remember that any substitutions either have to be at the same position or require a two-position switch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7077024032233525250\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/07\/football-ultimate-all-star-team-one.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7077024032233525250"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7077024032233525250"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/07\/football-ultimate-all-star-team-one.html","title":"Football: Ultimate U Sports all-star team — one player per school for 27 positions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oit2QtTW4T4\/WWD4xR2W5sI\/AAAAAAAADO0\/i0Ufczw22vwMCdqSrJDux0tlvkae2FN9ACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Akiem%2BHicks%252C%2BRams%2Band%2BBears.jpeg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8738795868934878292"},"published":{"$t":"2017-02-15T12:13:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-15T13:08:02.851-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Final 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RPI"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tigers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Road To Halifax Stops At Carleton: Men's Basketball Bracketology, 3 Weeks Out"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003E(Live it, learn it, love it: following university hoops means \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/static.psbin.com\/q\/5\/wcloe5wq5t4d4z\/160810_PlayingRegs_Basketball_-M-_FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eknowing the seeding criteria for the Final 8\u003C\/a\u003E. Warning: there is more RPI talk and no one will be put off if you just scroll to the bottom for the bracket.)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe brass tacks of Canada West's RPI-based seeding is that its two best teams have a harder road toward the auto-bids, the more advantageous seeding and the greater chance of distinguishing the conference on national TV.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe top four of Calgary, Alberta, Saskatchewan and UBC means that if the form holds, UBC and Calgary will meet in a play-in game at the Canada West Final Four on the Dinos' floor. A loss there would not kill UBC's Final 8 chances, but it would likely take the currently No. 6-ranked Dinos out of the at-large conversation and deprive the Sportsnet audience of seeing Thomas Cooper. For shame!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis was a more interesting one than anticipated. Ryerson is woke since walking into the (River) Lions' den down in St. Catharines when it lost to Brock. This weekend's Ottawa\/Carleton double-dip might not alter the RPI, but it will be a good simulation of what\u003Cb\u003E Roy Rana\u003C\/b\u003E's charges could expect in an OUA Final Four.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith that in mind, there's been some shuffling. How does Dalhousie and Ottawa meeting in a rematch grab everyone?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton (OUA champion).\u003C\/b\u003E Their average margin of victory in conference is 33.2 points, following by Ryerson at 23.5 and Ottawa at 15.9. The OUA might have to change the name to the Big Three and Little 14.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC (Canada West champion).\u003C\/b\u003E Not \u003Ci\u003Enot\u003C\/i\u003E making an upset prediction; fifth-placed Manitoba is scrappy with A.J. Basi at point guard. They played the T-Birds tough in November at the War Memorial.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERyerson (OUA finalist).\u003C\/b\u003E More seasoned handles in the backcourt than Ottawa, whom they face this weekend.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa (at large).\u003C\/b\u003E Not as statistically dominant as the 2012-13 through '15-16 Gees, but that doesn't foretell them falling short. Whatever stopped Ottawa from a fourth consecutive Final 8 medal last March wasn't a lack of hunger.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDalhousie (AUS champion).\u003C\/b\u003E Scheduling-wise, Dal and Carleton playing the night draw on March 9 seems like a likely scenario.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcGill (RSEQ champion).\u003C\/b\u003E Very very gritty team. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's (AUS runner-up\/host).\u003C\/b\u003E There is a codicil in the criteria that the fifth through eight seeds could be flipped to avoid a same-conference matchup, so I'm applying that to separate UBC and the second team from Canada West. Doing so also puts the AUS teams on opposite sides of the bracket.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan (Canada West runner-up).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;The third-placed Huskies and second-placed Alberta Golden Bears are on course to meet in a Canada West semifinal. Coin flip comes up U of S, plus they did win the most recent matchup.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDon't read too much into it. Canada West has four teams, at least, who would not be out of place in the tournament.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8738795868934878292\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/02\/the-road-to-halifax-stops-at-carleton.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8738795868934878292"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8738795868934878292"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/02\/the-road-to-halifax-stops-at-carleton.html","title":"The Road To Halifax Stops At Carleton: Men's Basketball Bracketology, 3 Weeks Out"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6705475687334968863"},"published":{"$t":"2016-08-30T16:02:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-08-31T10:21:29.178-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stingers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"#Top10VoterProblems: UBC opens the season No. 1, by slim margin over Montréal"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A buzzsaw named \u003Cb\u003EDeezar \u003C\/b\u003Ecame through B.C. last weekend, but that was not enough to change voters' minds for the first football Top 10 of the season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVoters in the poll have free reign to decide how much stock to give to exhibition results, such as Manitoba's 50-7 win against defending national champion UBC last Friday at Westhills Stadium on Vancouver. Those games aren't played at full intensity, and the road team is often coming with a lean travel squad whereas the hosts will carry extra players.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first poll of the season is always as the hardest; an invisible hand -- thank you, \u003Cb\u003EAdam Smith\u003C\/b\u003E -- tends to help a consensus develop. Six teams got at least one No. 1 vote, and there seems to be strong consensus around eight teams. That's really all that should be ranked, but for marketing purposes, you need 10 teams. A novel total would break the haters' brains.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC Thunderbirds (266, 20):\u003C\/b\u003E Never been a fan of the 'they are champs until proven otherwise' argument, since it defeats the purpose of having an opinion about who is the best. The 'Birds are young, but they showed last season that the early stages of a season aren't a be-all.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal (261, five):\u003C\/b\u003E The line out of the Carabins' camp: \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tvasports.ca\/2016\/08\/29\/la-carte-cachee-des-carabins\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EEven the pope is replaceable\u003C\/a\u003E.\" New quarterback\u003Cb\u003E Samuel Caron\u003C\/b\u003E has been in the system for a few seasons, and aged-out\u003Cb\u003E Gabriel Cousineau \u003C\/b\u003Ehas stayed on as an assistant coach. Time will tell how U de M manages the transition.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval (218):\u003C\/b\u003E For the first time in memory, Laval comes out of the chute without someone thinking they are No. 1. They are rebuilding, relatively, and perhaps the age cap finally is starting to have an effect.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern (188, two):\u003C\/b\u003E As a greater mind put it, good to see the blowout issue has been addressed in Ontario! The Mustangs beat Windsor by 72 points in the opener. Last season, they met in Week 1 and Western won by 69. Defensive lineman \u003Cb\u003EJohn Biewald\u003C\/b\u003E, who was in camp with the Ottawa RedBlacks, returns to #The613 for Sunday's game against Carleton. As if he won't find motivation intrinsically.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba (182, one): \u003C\/b\u003ESomeone put stock in the wipeout at Westshore, judging from the first-place vote. \u003Cb\u003ETheo Deezar\u003C\/b\u003E had three touchdown passes. The Bisons welcome in Calgary on Thursday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph (177): \u003C\/b\u003EAll three rotational tailbacks got exactly 11 totes against U of T, with aptly named \u003Cb\u003EMack Jones \u003C\/b\u003Ecounting 92 yards and two TDs. Outside linebacker \u003Cb\u003ERiley Baines\u003C\/b\u003E, who missed the Yates Cup season while upgrading some courses, made his return with a sack last week.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary (147, two):\u003C\/b\u003E Lose the Hardy Cup two seasons in a row and everyone forgets you have been pretty damn good for a long time. I put Calgary in my top 5, and not just because new QB1 \u003Cb\u003EJimmy Underdahl\u003C\/b\u003E is a left-hander, which is rare in three-down football for reasons no one has ever been able to explain.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster (146, one): Asher Hastings\u003C\/b\u003E,\u003Cb\u003E Dan Vandervoort \u003C\/b\u003Eand the whole Maroon and Grey gang averaged 9.8 yards per play in the 40-10 win against Carleton. Mac's September slate is Toronto-Waterloo-Ottawa-bye, so there might be some opportunity to be a little experimental before that circled date on the calendar, Oct. 1 vs. Guelph. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn little more than a hunch, I had Mac at No. 4 with Montréal, Western, Calgary as the top three and Laval at No. 5.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton (37):\u003C\/b\u003E The Ravens certainly were caught off-guard against McMaster, and it doesn't get much easier with Western coming to the nation's capital on Sunday. It is a pivotal season for CU, since underachieving is going to slow the momentum the program had at the launch phase. A greater concern than the 30-point loss is that key defender\u003Cb\u003E D'Sean Thelwell \u003C\/b\u003Egot banged up last Sunday. Still a good chance of being a 6-2 team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier (37):\u003C\/b\u003E Since the other two big-boy conferences have yet to play, having a fourth OUA team as a placeholder at No. 10 makes sense. There's some evidence on them, compared to Concordia or Saskatchewan. Laurier's Onyekas were outstanding against Queen's: \u003Cb\u003ENakus Onyeka \u003C\/b\u003Ehad nine tackles and two sacks, whereas \u003Cb\u003EGodfrey Onyeka \u003C\/b\u003Ehoused an interception return for the ahead-for-good TD.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003EAlso receiving votes: Concordia (18), Saskatchewan (13), St. Francis Xavier (6), Mount Allison (5), Sherbrooke (2).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;3½\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6705475687334968863\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/08\/top10voterproblems-ubc-opens-season-no.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6705475687334968863"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6705475687334968863"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/08\/top10voterproblems-ubc-opens-season-no.html","title":"#Top10VoterProblems: UBC opens the season No. 1, by slim margin over Montréal"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6692927866256597956"},"published":{"$t":"2016-06-21T21:01:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-06-21T21:17:38.077-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CFL"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Toronto Argonauts"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CIS-Con: Toronto Argonauts have 2 bright young Bisons alumni"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003E(Over the next few days, this blog will do its best to give a rundown on how CIS alumni figure into the grand scheme for each CFL team. Friendly reminder: the ratio in the CFL requires each team to have seven 'nationals' among the 24 defensive and offensive starters. It should be 10, five on each side of the ball, but one battle at a time ... one battle at a time.)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Argonauts' directors of scouting on each side of the border,\u003Cb\u003E Vince Magri\u003C\/b\u003E and\u003Cb\u003E Spencer Zimmerman\u003C\/b\u003E, are each former OUA O-linemen. Thus it is not surprising that their \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.argonauts.ca\/roster\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eroster has a strong southern Ontario flavour\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;with 14 OUA alumni\u0026nbsp;— three \u0026nbsp;apiece from McMaster, Guelph, U of T and York, and two from Western. Unofficially, Toronto has 22 nationals who got some of their training in CIS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe brightest young nationals might be the two former Manitoba Bisons, though, SB \u003Cb\u003EAnthony Coombs\u003C\/b\u003E and LB \u003Cb\u003EThomas Miles\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECoombs is listed as a running back but in use and deed, he's a 'slash back,' to borrow a\u003Cb\u003E Chip Kelly\u003C\/b\u003E-ism. Broadly, that is a receiver with a running back build and skill set, and Coombs contributed 486 of his 525 receiving-rushing yards through the passing phase. Miles was also a nice second-half revelation last season, starting seven games from Sept. 26 onward.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether the Argonauts' plethora of CIS alumni is pertinent to the 'turf war' between the football fans and Toronto FC fans is debatable. That said, it is a taxpayer-funded stadium and the football team really is focused on developing Canadian and Ontario players. That should count for something, no?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat said, what has been left out of that Argos-to-BMO media furor is that the soccer fans have also been under-served. The Argonauts being a lame duck at Rogers Centre is easier to evoke, due to recency bias. Soccer fans went a long time without a proper venue in their city. If someone ever writes a book about the tectonic shifts in Toronto sports during the 1990s, there better be a chapter about Canada's men's soccer team playing home games at a crumbling Varsity Stadium.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceivers \/ backs \u003C\/b\u003E— Taking the long view, whether No. 4 overall choice \u003Cb\u003EBrian Jones\u003C\/b\u003E (Acadia) gets much run this season will be a big story. Jones has a wrist injury. Between \u003Cb\u003ELlevi Noel \u003C\/b\u003E(Windsor AKO Fratmen juniors\/U of T) and \u003Cb\u003EKevin Bradfield\u003C\/b\u003E, the Argos have two other young national wideouts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECoombs brings a unique something to Toronto's Air Raid-esque passing game, just as Durie has done for several seasons. McMaster grad \u003Cb\u003EDeclan Cross\u003C\/b\u003E has stuck as a fullback.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line\u003C\/b\u003E — \u003Cb\u003EChris Van Zeyl\u003C\/b\u003E (McMaster) has been the frontside-protecting tackle for years on end, regardless of the quarterback or home field (sorry). Third-year tackle \u003Cb\u003EMatt Sewell\u003C\/b\u003E (McMaster) is working toward a starting job. \u003Cb\u003ESean McEwen \u003C\/b\u003E(Calgary) is also a former first-rounder who has working toward gaining a foothold.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive front seven\u003C\/b\u003E — With \u003Cb\u003ERicky Foley\u003C\/b\u003E (York) and his 56 career sacks, veteran linebacker\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ECory Greenwood\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Concordia) and the aforementioned Miles (Manitoba) as a utility player, Toronto has some solid nationals in the force unit.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVeteran special teams ace \u003Cb\u003EJames Yurichuk\u003C\/b\u003E (Bishop's) also came in as a free agent. Speaking of ex-Gaiters!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive secondary \u003C\/b\u003E— How was \u003Cb\u003EJermaine Gabriel\u003C\/b\u003E (Bishop's) available at No. 17 overall in 2013? The mind reels. Well, that and he had a breakout at the regional combine. Gabriel and \u003Cb\u003EMatt Black\u003C\/b\u003E are the only nationals in the secondary.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESpecialists \u003C\/b\u003E— \u003Cb\u003ELirim Hajrullahu\u003C\/b\u003E (Western), for now, is doing double duty as the \u003Ci\u003Ebotteur\u003C\/i\u003E. The jury might be out on that until well into the season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAddendum\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe argument for Andre Durie\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E— Thanks to Jim Mullin's indefatigable advocacy journalism, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame now has a process to induct someone as a university player. Knowing that, and knowing Durie is 34 years old, sparks one to wondering whether he has a case to go in through that avenue.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDurie was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aMPMSqOKomo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethat awesometacular with the York Lions\u003C\/a\u003E. The rub is that the inductees as university players have been legends, multiple-time Hec Crighton winners such as Chris Flynn and Éric Lapointe. Playing at York at the same time that Tom Denison, Andy Fantuz and Jesse Lumsden were playing on Top 10 teams, Durie was not in the right place to win the Hec Crighton. Yet that makes his achievements at York seem even greater. Throw in what he did to make the CFL after missing two seasons with nerve damage in a knee, and then become a 10-year pro ... that just seems like the kind of career that deserves some Hall of Fame recognition.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6692927866256597956\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/06\/cis-con-toronto-argonauts-have-2-bright.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6692927866256597956"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6692927866256597956"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/06\/cis-con-toronto-argonauts-have-2-bright.html","title":"CIS-Con: Toronto Argonauts have 2 bright young Bisons alumni"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7756102991440126319"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-20T11:56:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-21T08:34:50.181-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"#2016Final8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bobcats"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sea-Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wesmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Championship weekend: All 4 hockey, hoops finals lack the No. 1 seed, 7 regions repped!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"VANCOUVER — Leave it to the football commentator to have the correct spot!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EFour CIS championship games tomorrow, not a single #1 seed. Love it!\u003C\/div\u003E— Gord R. (@GARandall) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GARandall\/status\/711438052330045441\"\u003EMarch 20, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EIt might be the most uniquely Canada In The 21st Century set of finals. Eight teams, seven provinces, each official languages, and the X factors in making this happen where a Calgary baller named \u003Cb\u003EJasdeep Gill \u003C\/b\u003Eand a UBC puck-chaser with the handle off \u003Cb\u003EHaneet Parhar\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChanneling 2016 \u003Cb\u003EGord Miller\u003C\/b\u003E, if he was doing the work of 1994 Gord Miller: \u003Ci\u003Edoes it get any more Canadian than this?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EPushing past the creeping Carleton net-cutting to come in the last final of the day, Championship Sunday offers a rarity. When the women's hockey Gryphons and men's basketball Rams fell on Saturday night, none of the four national finals will include a No. 1 seed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETalk about a talking point that shows the depth of good teams in the country. That's the positive light to put it in. It should be leavened by pointing out that this is an off-shoot, as well, of having a very empirical, linear criteria to decide the tournament seeding. Even that is a good thing, since it should be a prompt for the observers to really focus on the matchups.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyway, here is what we have today:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWomen's basketball: (4) Ryerson vs. (2) Saskatchewan, in progress, SN360\u003C\/b\u003E — Central Canada finesse against Prairie functional strength. \u003Cb\u003ECarly Clarke \u003C\/b\u003Eagainst\u003Cb\u003E Lisa Thomaidis \u003C\/b\u003Ein the coaching matchup; always great when the women's basketball final involves a pair of head coaches who are women.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWomen's hockey: (4) UBC vs. (2) Montréal, 2:30 ET, SN360 \u003C\/b\u003E— The West Coast first-timers, by the margin of the \u003Cb\u003EHaneet Parhar\u003C\/b\u003E decider in the eighth round of the shootout, ousted No. 1 Guelph. Their reward is a matchup against Les Bleus, who have been in this situation previously.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMen's hockey: (5) UNB vs. (3) St. Francis Xavier, 5:30 ET, SN360\/TVA2\u003C\/b\u003E — An all-Maritimes matchup that reprises the AUS \u0026nbsp;final where the chaser, \u003Cb\u003EBrad Peddle\u003C\/b\u003E's X-Men sweep \u003Cb\u003EGardiner MacDougall\u003C\/b\u003E's Varsity Reds to get the higher seeding. It arguably worked out that the V-Reds sliding to 5 helped, since they played the second-best OUA team, then Saint Mary's took care of Trois-Rivières.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMen's basketball: (4) Calgary vs. (2) Carleton, 8:30 ET, SN360 — \u003C\/b\u003EDinos reserve \u003Cb\u003EJasdeep Gill \u003C\/b\u003Epouring in 24 points off the bench in the semifinal was a microcosm of U of C coach \u003Cb\u003EDan Vanhooren \u003C\/b\u003Ebeing willing to fly by the seat of his pants with a hot hand. Carleton is Carleton; the dynasty doesn't die, it just regenerates with new cogs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003EThat is wild. Should go create a spreadsheet to see if there was ever that much diversity, in terms of where the teams hail from, in the finals. Ontario, of course, is the only province with more than one school going for gold, but Carleton is in Eastern Ontario and Ryerson is Southern Ontario, which are two very different corners of the country. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMen's basketball had the B.C. Interior involved with that splash of Thompson Rivers orange, too. This is a good reminder there is a lot of good out there, even when CIS sometimes seems like a logistical impossibility: trying to create a fabric out of 56 schools spread about 6,000 km apart, and on budget.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBased on this, the law of averages would dictate some CIS gold and silver is lurking for Brandon, Manitoba, Memorial, UPEI or Winnipeg. \u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7756102991440126319\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/championship-weekend-all-4-hockey-hoops.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7756102991440126319"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7756102991440126319"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/championship-weekend-all-4-hockey-hoops.html","title":"Championship weekend: All 4 hockey, hoops finals lack the No. 1 seed, 7 regions repped!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3117106235554870844"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-10T17:34:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-10T17:34:21.896-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Final 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ottawa Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WolfPack"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Bracketology! The 'How UBC can do OUA a solid' edition"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wHfiAGgIR2c\/VuHuPVOYWyI\/AAAAAAAADHA\/xO9-Mwe783gm8VetD2EgqPO-E6X86fggQ\/s1600\/1246995.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wHfiAGgIR2c\/VuHuPVOYWyI\/AAAAAAAADHA\/xO9-Mwe783gm8VetD2EgqPO-E6X86fggQ\/s640\/1246995.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn our latest hoop-o-thetical, coach \u003Cb\u003EKevin Hanson\u003C\/b\u003E's UBC Thunderbirds are like \u003Cb\u003EHomer Simpson \u003C\/b\u003Ein that episode where takes a drag on his sisters-in-laws' cigarettes to get them out of a jam for smoking in a government building.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EExplain how. Well, Homer does not much like Patty and Selma, just as those in the west don't like Ontario, or its university men's basketball dominance. Yet Homer did something to help himself, over his reservations at helping the gruesome twosome. To totally strain the self-indulgent analogy, UBC will make their case for a high seed at home for the CIS Final 8 if they defeat the Thompson Rivers WolfPack and the Manitoba\/Calgary winner at the men's b-ball Canada West Final Four.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECalgary not being a conference champion might open the door toThat could also make the argument the OUA's big three of Carleton, Ryerson and Ottawa all being top six seeds come next week in Vancouver. Just saying, \u003Ci\u003Eit could\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Ours is not to make predictions, per se, but to be prepared. (\u003Cb\u003EMark Wacyk\u003C\/b\u003E, as always, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/canhoopsca.wordpress.com\/2016\/03\/10\/wilson-cup-final-four-preview-rams-look-to-hoist-first-banner-ever\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehas the OUA Wilson Cup covered from all angles\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere is no crystal ball; consider this more of a 'creating a crazy scenario and watching it all go down.'\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo UBC wins Canada West. Calgary or Manitoba is Canada West 1, and the conference's bronze-game winner is Canada West 2 since the Thunderbirds are a host.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHow could the picture look?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOUA 1\u0026nbsp;—\u003C\/b\u003E Saturday's Wilson Cup winner, either Carleton, Ottawa or Ryerson;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOUA 2\u0026nbsp;—\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003ESaturday's Wilson Cup runner-up;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHost team —\u003C\/b\u003E UBC, which had 227 points in the most recent Top Ten;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAt large\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ESaturday's OUA bronze-game winner if, indeed, it's one of the Big Three;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERSEQ champion\u0026nbsp;—\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EIf\u003C\/i\u003E No. 7 McGill wins their conference;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDalhousie\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ENo. 10-ranked Tigers go in the 5-hole \u003Ci\u003Eif\u003C\/i\u003E McGill stumbles;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECW 1\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThe Calgary-Manitoba winner and conference runner-up;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECW 2\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThe Canada West bronze-game winner, so either Calgary or Manitoba. Or perhaps No. 11-ranked Thompson Rivers could still surprise us.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003EAgendas, there a few at the time of March. This seeding likely keeps the 'Birds around until Semifinal Saturday, which will help with the surely robust ticket sales for the event that is coming back to a Vancouver whetted with anticipation due to its four-decade absence. Of OUA's big three, two will have a loser-plays-for-bronze steel cage match in the semifinal. The winner than has refresh for Championship Sunday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Thunderbirds get their high seed, OUA gets its entitlement of high seeds but two of them have to re-stage the playoffs, which gives the survivor a tougher trek toward the national title.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd, of course, you know what it says about the person who is laying out this scenario:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-MTOIc-Qar5g\/VuH2WXFAWZI\/AAAAAAAADHY\/qoR8xduk3OoZsyCFCL8EhPQK1NUBMTCoQ\/s1600\/1251783%2B%25281%2529.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-MTOIc-Qar5g\/VuH2WXFAWZI\/AAAAAAAADHY\/qoR8xduk3OoZsyCFCL8EhPQK1NUBMTCoQ\/s640\/1251783%2B%25281%2529.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3117106235554870844\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/bracketology-how-ubc-can-do-oua-solid.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3117106235554870844"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3117106235554870844"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/bracketology-how-ubc-can-do-oua-solid.html","title":"Bracketology! The 'How UBC can do OUA a solid' edition"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wHfiAGgIR2c\/VuHuPVOYWyI\/AAAAAAAADHA\/xO9-Mwe783gm8VetD2EgqPO-E6X86fggQ\/s72-c\/1246995.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7169832032799803905"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-01T15:46:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-01T15:54:15.977-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Issues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Eligibility"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Media Coverage"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mount Royal Cougars"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Soccer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Volleyball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wilson Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Eligibility: York Lions' brief history of OUA forfeits"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"How many people does it take to check player eligibility? Or more to the point, how many times can York University play an ineligible player and not have severe consequences?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFurther to that, what does it say about the state of Ontario University Athletics that media — choose your adjective(s); corporate media, old media, legacy media, traditional media, the salary-and-benefits media — does not even deign to cover it? Apart from the blogs maintained by us hobbyists who find other ways to get paid, the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/york-lions-booted-from-oua-wilson-cup.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EYork Lions' men's basketball team's ouster from the OUA Wilson Cup\u003C\/a\u003E was hardly covered, by anyone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a public university, funded by the province, and no one seems to care that one of its most public departments is dropping the ball. By unofficial count, starting with the most recent first, York has forfeited games five times since \u003Cb\u003EJennifer Myers\u003C\/b\u003E' \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/yfile.news.yorku.ca\/2012\/05\/16\/jennifer-myers-named-president-of-ontario-university-athletics\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehire as director of sports and recreation in 2008\u003C\/a\u003E. Myers is also a past OUA president.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2015-16, men's basketball — \u003C\/b\u003EForfeited nine games after using \u003Cb\u003ERaheem Isaac\u003C\/b\u003E, who was not eligible since he had played exhibition games for Windsor and OUA rules proscribe playing for two teams in one season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2011-12, women's volleyball — \u003C\/b\u003EDisqualified from hosting the OUA final four after playing middle hitter \u003Cb\u003EMichelle Pierce d\u003C\/b\u003Euring a 3-0 quarter-final against the RMC Paladins. Pierce, another Windsor transfer, had not played an OUA match in 365 games, but was not eligible for the playoffs since she had not competed during the regular season. As a result, OUA had to move the final four to Ottawa. As CIS Blog alumnus \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Bucholtz\u003C\/b\u003E put it at that time, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/eh-game\/top-seeded-york-women-volleyball-team-disqualified-oua-002334879.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EFrom what's come out, York has to bear most of the blame for this fiasco\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2010-11, women's soccer\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ERelatively minor, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.oua.ca\/sports\/wsoc\/2010-11\/releases\/7272.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Esince this was self-disclosed\u003C\/a\u003E, although the culprit was midfielder \u003Cb\u003ERita Keimakh\u003C\/b\u003E, who was a former national under-20 and Big Ten player. On Tuesday after Thanksgiving weekend, Keimakh dropped a class, reducing her load to 7½ hours per week. York required 9 hours in order to be considered a full-time student and, thus, OUA-eligible. Keimakh competed one day later. It was caught and the game was forfeited to McMaster six days later. To her credit, Keimakh competed for York in later seasons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2009-10, football\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E—\u003Cb\u003E Patrick Hooey\u003C\/b\u003E had played for Saint Mary's in 2008, and enrolled at York with intentions to start a new degree, so he could play right away. Instead, he was enrolled as a \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2009\/09\/football-york-discloses-it-played.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Efull-time undergraduate student\u003C\/a\u003E\" but coach\u003Cb\u003E Mike McLean\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eallowed him to play in the season opener against Windsor. If memory serves, York self-disclosed the error, calling it a \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/yfile.news.yorku.ca\/2009\/09\/11\/new-u-of-t-library-fee-hits-york-students-staff-and-faculty\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebreakdown in communications\u003C\/a\u003E,\" after Saint Mary's athletic director \u003Cb\u003ESteve Sarty \u003C\/b\u003Ealerted them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcLean (career record: 0-16) left coaching after that season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2008-09, men's soccer\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWhere have you gone, \u003Cb\u003EAndrea Lombardo\u003C\/b\u003E? A shut-in sports blogger turns his lonely eyes to you, woo-woo-woo.\u003C\/i\u003E Actually, Lombardo works at York, in the admissions department, and no doubt is great at his job. Hopefully, he would be a good sport about his line of work seeming ironic, lo, these many years later. In 2008, he played four games for the No. 1-ranked men's soccer Lions after having played for Toronto FC during its maiden Major League Soccer campaign.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs \u003Ci\u003EMacLean's\u003C\/i\u003E put it: \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/general\/york-universitys-soccer-scandal\/\"\u003EThe fact that they managed to play four games with this illegal player ... is just mind blowing. The fact that they didn’t know it was illegal is somewhat hilarious\u003C\/a\u003E.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI apologize, fully completely, to Mses. Keimakh and Pierce and Messrs. Hooey, Isaac, Lombardo and even McLean that unpleasant incidents from their past have to be exhumed. It's just that a thread runs through all of this, which is that is seems like this isn't begin taken very seriously, by anyone whatsoever.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat is very, very bad. That goes for the scary thought that this happens since there is essentially no check and balance. Those have to be there. It can derive from \u003Cb\u003E1) \u003C\/b\u003Esome combination of intensely local news coverage that has a collective long memory; \u003Cb\u003E2) \u003C\/b\u003Eengaged alumni who expect more from an alma mater's varsity sports program and \u003Cb\u003E3) \u003C\/b\u003Ean athletic conference, OUA in this case, keeping member schools accountable. Honestly, I feel like the Walter Sobchak character in \u003Ci\u003EThe Big Lebowski\u003C\/i\u003E, minus the concealed carry, of course.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThis is not 'Nam ... this is high-performance sport. There are rules.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/P41gT4eicrE\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P41gT4eicrE?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYork is far from alone in having had player eligibility issues, of course, and this is not meant to be a call-out or a castigation. It just bears pointing out that a serious sports conference takes these matters seriously. That might help with getting the media to pay attention outside of Vanier Cup and Super Championship Weekend time, when they wonder why no one cares when they do a drive-by on something they have ignored for the other 49 weeks of the year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere is a brief list of other eligibility-related forfeits in recent years:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2015-16\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EWaterloo men's volleyball\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2014-15\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EQueen's football; Calgary football; Mount Royal men's soccer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 —\u003C\/b\u003E Bishop's football; UPEI men's soccer; St. Francis Xavier men's soccer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2011-12 — \u003C\/b\u003EUBC football; Montreal football\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2010-11 — \u003C\/b\u003ELaurier football\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2009-10 — \u003C\/b\u003EManitoba football; Simon Fraser football.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7169832032799803905\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/eligibility-york-lions-brief-history-of.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7169832032799803905"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7169832032799803905"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/eligibility-york-lions-brief-history-of.html","title":"Eligibility: York Lions' brief history of OUA forfeits"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/P41gT4eicrE\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2679112329787319288"},"published":{"$t":"2016-02-28T15:53:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-05T08:42:41.201-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Capers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Final 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ottawa Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tigers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Bracketology: Ryerson, Ottawa and Carleton, and the first shall be third, and vice-versa"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Warning: contents of post might be considered hot takes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe have reached the point where form and history are in conflict in the Power Conference. With Ryerson holding the No. 1 seed for the OUA Wilson Cup, it sets up that Ottawa will likely have to defeat Carleton for the third time in a row in order to directly qualify for the Final 8. When was the last time a team did that against Carleton?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith that in mind, one should not presume to go all What We Learned while \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/bracketology-first-stab-at-projecting.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eslotting eight teams into the men's basketball CIS Final 8\u003C\/a\u003E. The OUA has a No. 1 playoff seed that is No. 3 in the coaches' poll and was last seen running fifth-year guard \u003Cb\u003EAaron Best\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/oua.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2015-16\/boxscores\/20160227_x6uq.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Efor 40 minutes in order to secure a nine-point win against York, the worst team in the OUA playoffs\u003C\/a\u003E. (Ryerson also needed \u003Ci\u003Et\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=54DifLTnqTU\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewo \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=54DifLTnqTU\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebuzzer triples in the second half to escape with a two-point victory on Friday against Queen's\u003C\/a\u003E, whose starting five probably consists of\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;Sukhpreet Singh\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;and four Commerce majors named Tanner, Taylor, Travis and Tyler from 'just outside Toronto.')\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECarleton is No. 1 in the country but No. 3 for the playoffs and is also 0-3 against the Gee-Gees and Rams, but those games were three weeks ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe AUS, as per \u003Ci\u003Euje\u003C\/i\u003E, seems like anyone's game; Dalhousie won as the underdog last season and now gets cast as the overdog after winning a very balanced conference with \u003Cb\u003ERick Plato\u003C\/b\u003E's old-school tempo-slowing style. (Per game, the Tigers took six fewer shots per game than anyone else down East, and allowed 8½ fewer points.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EBy now, all of you are all familiar with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.cis-sic.ca\/information\/members_info\/pdfs\/pdf_playing_regs\/15-16\/Basketball_-M-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERule 4.2.4, which mandates that a conference champion cannot be seeded lower than sixth\u003C\/a\u003E. This is also known as the, \"We Won Our Conference And All We Got Was A Lesson From Carleton, And A Consolation Game\" rule. You have also been around the block enough times to know that the UBC Thunderbirds will be placed in the most sales-driven seed, which likely means No. 5.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo quote the guy who taught another Plato, the only knowledge is knowing you know nothing. Then again, I bet on the Oklahoma City Thunder for a push against \u003Cb\u003EStephen Curry \u003C\/b\u003Eon Saturday night. Lo and behold, three-point underdog OKC made sure that Golden State did not cover the spread. \u003Ci\u003ESo there. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, here goes nothing:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa (OUA Wilson Cup champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EGive a good team enough chances to learn how to close out fourth quarters, and eventually they will.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERyerson (OUA runner-up)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThe Rams have not really cemented lead-horse status going into the playoffs. The ATC should take in that stabilizing force \u003Cb\u003EJuwon Grannum \u003C\/b\u003Ehas only played 36 minutes across the past five games due to injuries. It also means that anyone intuiting that history says it might be tough for Ottawa to beat Carleton, thrice, also has to concede the point that it would be about as tough for Ryerson to defeat Ottawa, twice in a row. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConsider this is a noncommittal attempt to split the difference. If it was a layup attempt, Ryerson's \u003Cb\u003EKadeem Green \u003C\/b\u003Ewould block and redirect the ball for an outlet pass.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary Dinos (Canada West champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ENothing has really happened to indicate it will be any different. Can't cast aspersions on the Dinos while the top six seeds await winners CW's play-in series.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EP.S.: Go Griffins and Wesmen!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcGill Redmen (RSEQ champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ENothing new to add other than Dave DeAveiro's crew has won four in a row and wrapped up RSEQ Final Four\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC Thunderbirds (host)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ESee what was said above UBC getting the pragmatic treatment from the organizers. The 'Birds will surely play that late quarter-final on Thursday night. That would mean the top seed out of Ontario, which already had a tantamount four-hour time zone change with the combination of Daylight Savings (March 13) and the cross-Canada trip, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2016\/championship\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewill play in a 9 p.m. ET\u0026nbsp;quarter-final and 8:30 p.m.. ET \u0026nbsp;semifinal\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe geographical bias went the other way almost exclusively for generations, so that's not a complaint. Just a consideration.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAcadia Axemen (AUS champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThe best conference playoffs in the country have the dominoes arranged in a fun way, as always. \u003Cb\u003EJavon Masters \u003C\/b\u003Eand the fourth-seeded UNB Varsity Reds are the 4 seed; if they keep their composure, they can get by Saint Mary's on Friday. Acadia winning against Cape Breton, the Power That Is \u003Cb\u003EMeshack Lufile \u003C\/b\u003Enotwithstanding, is the form pick in the 6 vs. 3 quarter-final since the Axemen won 3-of-4.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat would set up a great set of semifinals: AUS scoring champ Masters and the V-Reds against the tenacious, defend-all-day Dalhousie Tigers; Acadia taking on their old friends \u003Cb\u003ETyler Scott\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBradley States\u003C\/b\u003E of UPEI. I am little fixated on the fact that Acadia limited AUS foes to 32 per cent from three-point land. \u003Ci\u003EIf they defend, they can do it.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Panthers swept a two-game set from Acadia recently, but the fouls were 45-27 in their favour that weekend on Prince Edward Island. \u003Ci\u003EWhat happens in a mainland matchup?\u003C\/i\u003E Anyway, one over-simplification from Upper Canada is that an Acadia\/UPEI winner rides the momentum to the conference banner. This a conference that is never that simple; it is the CIS equivalent to a lovable, one-bid D1 mid-major that's much more watchable during Conference Championship Week than any Power Five conference that's thrown together for football purposes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDalhousie is the best defensive ball club, though, and that is why it is top seed and the default pick to go to the Left Coast.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton Ravens (at large; OUA bronze medal)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThere is no road map for how the behemoth off of Bronson Ave. will react if it loses a go-to-nationals OUA semifinal and has to regroup for the OUA bronze game in fewer than 24 hours' time. Carleton has never had to play a bronze game during their entire dynasty.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe men's basketball solons were still holding out on a Final 8 bronze game when the Ravens lost national semifinals in both 2008 and '10. In 2006, they lost to \u003Cb\u003ETut Ruach \u003C\/b\u003Eand the York Lions in the OUA East semifinal with\u003Cb\u003E Aaron Doornekamp \u003C\/b\u003Eout with a sprained ankle. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2006_CIS_Men%27s_Basketball_Championship\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAfter getting the wild card and a No. 3 seed, they beat UQAM, Cape Breton and Victoria by a combined margin of 21 points for National Title No. 4\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBesides, Final 8 wild-card implications mean that bronze-medal games at provincials are much different than those at nationals. Carleton beat McMaster on the road on Feb. 13, so they get a tentative benefit of the doubt.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba Bisons (Canada West auto berth)\u0026nbsp;—\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EThe great \u003Cb\u003EWayne Thomas\u003C\/b\u003E has all the Canada West playoff coverage one could ever desire. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/canadawesthoops.com\/play-off-schedule-all-stars\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPoring over the bracket that Thomas posted\u003C\/a\u003E, the one thought is that less is more when it comes to the student-athlete experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn other words, Canada West spends a lot\u0026nbsp;of miles in the air and nights in a hotel on a postseason that is stacked against lower seeds and not overly media-friendly. The lower seeds have to travel a province or three to beat\u0026nbsp;a team twice in three falls on its own floor, then travel again to win a go-to-nationals semifinal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECanada West is probably sated with realignment. I also happen to like-like the whole Explorers and Pioneers idea, even if it was made at the point of the 'UBC is going to take its ball and bolt for the NCAA' gun.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWould it not make more sense, especially to a media partner such as Shaw, to just blow the dust off the GPAC and have two single-site final fours for the berths? Let each team have a banner as Canada West co-champion and week off for reading in the physiotherapy room.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECircling back, if all top four seeds go through, the CW Final Four is Manitoba-Calgary and Thompson Rivers-UBC. \u003Cb\u003EKirby Schepp\u003C\/b\u003E's Bisons rate a good chance at winning at least one game against that field.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003EI consider myself shockproof; the only shock could come from being proven correct.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2679112329787319288\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/bracketology-ryerson-ottawa-and.html#comment-form","title":"16 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2679112329787319288"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2679112329787319288"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/bracketology-ryerson-ottawa-and.html","title":"Bracketology: Ryerson, Ottawa and Carleton, and the first shall be third, and vice-versa"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"16"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8029703686305835815"},"published":{"$t":"2016-02-15T11:28:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-02-15T18:35:05.571-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Final 8"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ottawa Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tigers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Bracketology: First stab at projecting CIS Final 8 men's seeds"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Alternate title: \u003Ci\u003EHow Do You Solve A Problem Like UBC?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy now, astute fans of our Canadian university basketball have the gist of men's CIS Final 8 seeding. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.cis-sic.ca\/information\/members_info\/pdfs\/pdf_playing_regs\/15-16\/Basketball_-M-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EConference champs cannot be seeded lower than No. 6\u003C\/a\u003E, even if they were unranked before getting hot for two games at the RSEQ Final Four or for three in the AUS Final 6. Matchups of teams from the same conference are allowable; after all Ryerson and Windsor met in the 7 vs. 2 quarter-final last season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis exercise assumes no upsets, so here's a first crack at Nate Silver-ing the seeding for five weeks from now:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERyerson (OUA champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThe Rams \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/cishoops.ca\/mbb2015\/ouarpi-scenario.php?Gender=MBB\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eproject for top spot in the OUA RPI \u003C\/a\u003Eand the home-floor advantage throughout the Wilson Cup playoffs. They will be awfully tough in that environment, especially now that the RU community has really come down with Rams Fever.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa (OUA runner-up)\u0026nbsp;—\u003C\/b\u003E Some shine probably came off Ottawa with that split weekend against the Central's 1-2 punch. Overall, \u003Cb\u003EJames Derouin\u003C\/b\u003E's crew is 23-4 in CIS play \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/cishoops.ca\/mbb2015\/cissrs.php\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewith the fourth-toughest strength of schedule among the 47 hooping schools\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary (Canada West champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EForm pick from a fellow who is only following C-Dub from afar. There should be no way the conference's champion, or best team, gets in ahead of the OUA's two best if the Eastern bastards don't have any true upsets in the early rounds.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcGill (RSEQ champion)\u0026nbsp;— David DeAviero\u003C\/b\u003E's Redmen will complete a cycle of road wins against the other four Q schools if they defeat Laval on Friday. McGill has only three league games left before the RSEQ Final Four. They go nine deep and that Ottawa win, even if was in October, left a powerful impression.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC (host)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EAh, there is the rub: a tournament in Vancouver will need some local interest to have any hope of getting traction the way the 2015 nationals did in Toronto. And, even then, it might only go so far. That is why it figures that the Thunderbirds, albeit a \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.theprovince.com\/2016\/02\/14\/howies-hamper-02-14-16-fab-four-moments-from-the-local-university-sports-weekend\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egraduation-depleted\u003C\/a\u003E\" iteration with only three seasoned rotational players as per \u003Cb\u003EHoward Tsumura\u003C\/b\u003E, slide into a 5 seed against a team that will be three time zones from home.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat means McGill, or whoever wins the Q, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2016\/championship\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewould be tipping off at 11 p.m. Eastern on March 16\u003C\/a\u003E. Of course, Montreal's not really a late-night town.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDalhousie (AUS champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ENever take anything for granted with the AUS, since that first-round bye for the top two finishers seems to be a double-edged gift quite often. Dal is defending champ, so they are the default choice.\u0026nbsp;Selfishly, it would be fine if\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EJavon Masters\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;and UNB, who have played a tough schedule are a high-scoring team, somehow got hot in the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOver at CANHoops, there is a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/canhoopsca.wordpress.com\/2016\/02\/15\/upei-follow-up\/?fb_action_ids=165813580465460\u0026amp;fb_action_types=news.publishes\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Elittle kerfuffle over a wholly factual post about how many more fouls are whistled on visiting teams than on the UPEI Panthers during games in Charlottetown\u003C\/a\u003E, going back across the last few seasons. For example, the Panthers, not that they haven't had full agency in their turnaround, have come out ahead in the fouls in 33 of their last 39 AUS games in Charlottetown. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne wonders how many of the Panthers fans carping about the article also had occasion \u0026nbsp;to read Wayne Kondro's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/cis_news\/2015-16\/releases\/officiatingcanada\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eexamination of the lack of training and travel support for Canadian basketball officials\u003C\/a\u003E. Kondro noted, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/cis_news\/2015-16\/releases\/officiatingcanada\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EGames in PEI, for example, will never be called by officials from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Newfoundland \u0026amp; Labrador\u003C\/a\u003E.\" Please understand highlighting that isn't meant to impugn anyone, but it's a reality there are probably only so many university basketball refs on Prince Edward Island.\" In other words, a nationwide problem might be particularly acute in that case.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course, by the time that gets fixed, we'll have also have reversed climate change. Memorial University's definition of an assist will still be wonky, though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyhow, the AUS might be a four- or five-team derby come the first weekend of March. That very much includes UPEI, and generally if you have no skin in the game, selfishly root for a team that has gone the longest without a nationals visit. The Panthers last went in 2003.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster (at large; OUA bronze medal)\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E—\u0026nbsp;Martin Timmerman\u003C\/b\u003E's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/cishoops.ca\/mbb2015\/ouarpi-scenario.php?Gender=MBB\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewhat-if tool\u003C\/a\u003E, my new favourite toy, suggests the Marauders and Carleton Ravens might be on a collision course for an OUA quarter-final at the Ravens' Nest on Sat., Mar. 5. Presuming no outliers or WTF one-off upsets, Ryerson, Ottawa and Carleton would be seeded 1, 2 and 3 for the Wilson Cup playoffs. Brock and Windsor would slide into the 4-5 slots, with Mac at No. 6.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe rub with Carleton, who did look better last weekend, is that aside from that win against very young and very thin Brock, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/cishoops.ca\/mbb2015\/cisteamgames.php?Team=Carleton\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E75 points seems to be their plateau against high-quality competition\u003C\/a\u003E. They have a lot of say over whether a game will go into the 80s, of course, but McMaster plays fast and pushes the pace. Just saying.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn any event, the wild card is coming from Ontario, again. Sorry, not sorry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba (Canada West auto berth)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EThe Bisons are tied with UBC for the second-best 'last 10' record at 8-2, finishing 15-5 overall. They will have two weeks before hosting a best-of-3 quarter-final, meaning \u003Cb\u003EAJ Basi\u003C\/b\u003E,\u003Cb\u003E Keith Omoerah \u003C\/b\u003Eand everyone else should have plenty of juice in their legs to play three games in as many days if that's what asked of them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith UBC hosting nationals, the Canada West bronze-medal game is potentially a play-in game for the 7 or 8 seed.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8029703686305835815\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/bracketology-first-stab-at-projecting.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8029703686305835815"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8029703686305835815"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/bracketology-first-stab-at-projecting.html","title":"Bracketology: First stab at projecting CIS Final 8 men's seeds"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2838127621025349919"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-24T10:26:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-24T10:26:23.723-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hec Crighton"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"statistics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2013 quarterback rankings suggest OUA teams may need to scout Finch more closely"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It's been a few years that we've been ranking quarterbacks across CIS football, and lately it's been \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/12\/football-quinlan-leads-qb-rankings-once.html\"\u003Ethe \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E Show\u003C\/a\u003E. He was unable to top the list this year, due to the small technicality of no longer playing in the league. But there are other standout performances to highlight, and maybe a debate (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2009\/10\/football-hec-check-faulds-vs-brannagan.html\"\u003Eagain\u003C\/a\u003E) over the Hec Crighton winner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJordan Heather\u003C\/b\u003E's outstanding season made him the first Gaiter winner of the player-of-the-year trophy. Depending on how you view a QB's contribution to his team, however, he could have been only the second-most valuable quarterback in the country during the regular season. Western's \u003Cb\u003EWill Finch\u003C\/b\u003E, as part of the Mustangs' steamrolling disguised as a football season, topped Heather's totals with his passing game being estimated at 4.7 wins above a replacement-level quarterback, compared to Heather's 3.6. The implication there is if you swap the QBs, Western goes 7-1 instead of 8-0.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne could argue that Western was going to win regardless of whether Finch threw for 200 or 400, whereas Bishop's \u003Ci\u003Eneeded\u003C\/i\u003E Heather to be otherwordly (and even then, half of their wins were by one point). But in my view that's the same hair-splitting over the definition of \"valuable\" that sadly pervades MVP discussion in baseball. Extend that argument and nothing Heather nor Finch does is valuable, since Laval and Western were going to win their respective conferences anyway. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the end it doesn't much matter, as our rankings include the playoffs and bowl games, and Finch was much better there than Heather (who managed just 92 yards on 20 attempts in his only game), which kind of puts paid to the whole \"Finch's stats were only good because the games didn't matter\" idea.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo calculate wins above replacement, we use an admittedly crude method: the player's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/about\/glossary.htm#ay\/a\"\u003Eadjusted net yards per attempt\u003C\/a\u003E, with a strength of schedule multiplier, then compare to what a replacement-level quarterback would do in the same amount of playing time. (A replacement-level quarterback, in a CIS context, is a QB without much value who can be added to the roster without much effort. You can just think of this as \"any Waterloo quarterback.\") We then convert yards to points, and points to wins. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's Finch first at +5.1; then Manitoba's \u003Cb\u003EJordan Yantz\u003C\/b\u003E, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.winnipegsun.com\/2013\/05\/04\/prized-bisons-qb-recruit-shows-off-skills\"\u003Ethe B.C. junior league's top offensive player for three consecutive seasons\u003C\/a\u003E\" in case anyone forgot, at +4.0; Calgary's \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Buckley\u003C\/b\u003E at +3.4, showing once again \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/12\/football-quinlan-leads-qb-rankings-once.html?showComment=1354814138196#c8628966037327755164\"\u003Eit is unwise to doubt \u003Cb\u003EJim Mullin\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; Heather at +3.2; and \u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E of Queen's with +3.2 as well. Both Finch and McPhee get a boost from strength of schedule; Heather experiences the opposite effect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe full rankings for 2013:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe width='500' height='300' frameborder='0' src='https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheet\/pub?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFdSbWVoZmtDc043eEZLaTdORTAxaWc\u0026single=true\u0026gid=3\u0026output=html\u0026widget=true'\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIdle observations:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAs noted last year (and in previous years), there are significant team effects at play, not to mention simple variation year-to-year. Last year, there was a Calgary QB ranked second, but it wasn't Buckley. Last year, Heather was 15th. And so on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA rank of seventh has to be the lowest for an undefeated Vanier Cup winner in some time, though of course after watching them play for two minutes it's easy to figure out why Laval's offence doesn't have to be pass-focused.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFinch is fifth in QB WAR since 2009. You may notice that he hasn't played a majority of those seasons. So to you, Rest of OUA, we bid farewell until 2017. Ahead of him in the five-year rankings are Quinlan, the OUA's Forgotten Man (known to most as \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy)\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EEric Dzwilewski\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EBilly Greene\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2838127621025349919\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-2013-quarterback-rankings.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2838127621025349919"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2838127621025349919"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-2013-quarterback-rankings.html","title":"Football: 2013 quarterback rankings suggest OUA teams may need to scout Finch more closely"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2905477546746186688"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-07T09:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-09T19:32:07.614-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dunsmore Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hardy Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Loney Bowl"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yates Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Conference championship point spreads"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Mount Allison at Saint Mary's (-9.5)\u003Cbr \/\u003EMontreal at Laval (-11.5)\u003Cbr \/\u003EQueen's at Western (-18)\u003Cbr \/\u003EManitoba at Calgary (-14)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot a terribly close set of games by the look of it, but there are always deviations from the predictions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt 26:54 of Countdown U (video below), the members of the panel choose their Games of the Week. All games but the Hardy get one vote.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_YFCPZSyRu4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for last week, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-quick-recaps-of-seven.html\"\u003Efive of the seven conference semifinals were within a touchdown of their predicted spread\u003C\/a\u003E, with two big misses in the Montreal blowout win and Mount A's win despite only 154 yards of offence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2905477546746186688\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-conference-championship-point.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2905477546746186688"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2905477546746186688"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-conference-championship-point.html","title":"Football: Conference championship point spreads"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-290932968206975192"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-02T20:36:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-02T21:25:01.175-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vert et Or"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Quick recaps of the seven semifinals"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ETo review this weekend's seven playoff games, we'll look at them in order of how much the outcome differed from our point spreads, from most expected to least expected.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2013\/postseason-boxscores\/20131102_d0u1.xml\"\u003EUBC 28 at Calgary 42\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Calgary by 15.5\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 1.5 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI respect what friend of the blog \u003Cb\u003EJim Mullin\u003C\/b\u003E said near the end of this game, about how UBC represented their school today after \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theprovince.com\/sports\/university\/Gallagher+getting+ready+slash+varsity+football+hockey\/9049366\/story.html\"\u003Erumours leaked out surrounding the football team and the school's athletic review\u003C\/a\u003E (though, those are hardly rumours). And yes they did take a 17-0 lead after beating up on Alberta previously. But in the end they lost this one by 14. Though the T-Birds can take some solace in the fact that, while \u003Cb\u003EMercer Timmis\u003C\/b\u003E had another Mercer Timmis game (32 carries, 164 yards, two TDs), he wasn't the leading rusher in the game, either by total yards or yards-per-carry \u0026mdash; that honour going to \u003Cb\u003EBrandon Deschamps\u003C\/b\u003E (184 on 22, 1 TD).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2013\/postseason-boxscores\/20131101_s059.xml\"\u003ESaskatchewan 36 at Manitoba 37\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Manitoba by 3.5\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 2.5 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt'll be an offseason of replaying this game in their minds for the Huskies, now losers of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.huskies.usask.ca\/news\/2013\/November\/2013-11-01-fb\/index.php\"\u003Eeight of their last ten playoff games\u003C\/a\u003E after \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thestarphoenix.com\/sports\/amateur\/university\/Huskies+season+ends+last+second\/9116453\/story.html\"\u003Ea crazy, fantastic night in Winnipeg\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026mdash; and another one-point playoff loss on a missed field goal at the end. Like the people who point to close elections and say, \"See, each vote \u003Ci\u003Edoes\u003C\/i\u003E matter!\", I find it tempting to say that every point does, too, but that's fairly self-evident after a game like this.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHalf the points came in the fourth quarter; Saskatchewan had a five-point lead after three and kept the Bisons off the board for nearly a 20-minute period. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2014\/postseason-boxscores\/20131102_sps4.xml\"\u003ESherbrooke 11 at Laval 32\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Laval by 18\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 3 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe latest in a long line of Laval games where they dominate the second half. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rougeetor.ulaval.ca\/les_clubs\/nouvelle\/article\/\/p-classsurtitredemi-finale-rseq-de-football-universitairepp-classtitrele-rouge-et-or-en\/\"\u003E11th Dunsmore in a row\u003C\/a\u003E for the Rouge et Or and of course they've won all of the last 10 \u0026mdash; by three touchdowns on average, no less.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2013\/postseason-boxscores\/20131102_aoh9.xml\"\u003EGuelph 17 at Queen's 34\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Queen's by 13\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 4 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo surprises here (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-twice-in-lifetime-guelph-comes.html\"\u003Ethis time\u003C\/a\u003E...). Guelph ends the year 2-2 against OUA playoff teams, but with a 2-point win and a 1-point win followed by last week's 14-point loss and this 13-point one, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/eh-game\/queen-golden-gaels-mistake-free-billy-mcphee-shake-002832996.html\"\u003Ewhich they lost to Queen's and \"mistake-free \u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E\"\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2013\/postseason-boxscores\/20131102_f0wv.xml\"\u003EMcMaster 3 at Western 32\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Western by 22\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 7 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'd have to check the numbers on this, but I think this was the first Western game this year where they didn't score 50 points in the fourth quarter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAside from that this game was a foregone conclusion; I think we all knew the Mustangs were going to win the 1 vs. 4 game by 20+ points before they were halfway towards clinching the No. 1 seed. Mac's hearts of champions or inspired chemistry or whatever helped them win more games in the second half of the year \u0026mdash; the relatively weaker schedule? I think it was the relatively weaker schedule \u0026mdash; can only go so far against the best non-Laval team in the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2013\/postseason-boxscores\/20131102_lxau.xml\"\u003EAcadia 10 at Mount Allison 19\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Acadia by 7\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 16 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis one didn't finish as we thought. The Mounties gave up almost 100 more points during the season than Acadia did, and they weren't the ones who played Laval, so you'd think the Axemen could overcome the home advantage, even one enjoyed by a team that plays on a field some high school programs wouldn't touch. But the turnovers went 4 to 1 in Mount A's favour, in fact scoring their only touchdown on a pick-six with three and a half minutes left in the game. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/fball\/2014\/postseason-boxscores\/20131102_061c.xml\"\u003EMontreal 51 at Bishop's 8\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPredicted spread\u003C\/b\u003E: Montreal by 7\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOff by\u003C\/b\u003E: 36 points\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe same logic that made Montreal road favourites also made Acadia road favourites. Neither game actually ended up close to the 7-point spread, but for very different reasons. While this was more lopsided than most probably expected, I still do feel a little better now about never putting Bishop's on my ballot this year. In any event, it seems the Gaiters \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/cis\/cis-week-9-rankings-let-the-playoffs-begin\/\"\u003Ewon't have a chance to beat Laval\u003C\/a\u003E after all.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/290932968206975192\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-quick-recaps-of-seven.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/290932968206975192"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/290932968206975192"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-quick-recaps-of-seven.html","title":"Football: Quick recaps of the seven semifinals"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8787132711862365500"},"published":{"$t":"2013-10-31T00:02:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-10-31T00:02:11.176-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Final Top 10 of 2013"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Returning after a brief hiatus for minor, almost imperceptible re-tooling, here are our ballots for this week (in order \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/releases\/top10-10\"\u003Eafter the official listing\u003C\/a\u003E: Neate Sager, myself, Andrew Bucholtz):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 1st, 1st, 2nd. Will Western win by more over Mac, or Laval by more over Sherbrooke? The two spreads are within a safety for those games. And is a Western-Laval Vanier any different than a Red Sox-Cardinals World Series?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd, 2nd, 1st. That was their fourth three-touchdown win over Montreal in as many years, if you were wondering about part of the reason why we sometimes call it \"the Laval conference.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th, 4th, 3rd. Quirks in scheduling mean UBC has to fly right back for another game, maybe even another one with more rouges than touchdowns for them.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd, 3rd, 4th. Hosting Guelph, and it may not be a close one.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, 7th, 5th. Having settled the Windsor-Guelph debate (ok, that was never actually a debate) it's now time for Guelph to step up for the Guelph-Queen's debate.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBishop's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 8th, unranked, 6th. One of two teams hosting a playoff game this weekend who are the underdogs by my figuring (the other is Mount A, in the conference we don't talk about). This is the only team any of us did not rank this week; my other spot went to UBC, 9th. I don't have much justification for that.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th, 6th, 7th. Have surrendered half as many points on the year as the Gaiters; you gotta think that matters.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 5th, 9th. Sadly, Mac won't make it to London for their game, as their season was declared over almost two months ago and the team had to disband amidst the intense media hand-wringing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 9th, 8th, 8th. Back to some agreement among us. No shame in being fourth in points scored in the country, behind just Western, Queen's, and Calgary.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 10th, 10th, 10th. That makes three playoff games with adjacent seedings, one per conference, and this one (at -3.5 for Manitoba) figures to be the closest of them all.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8787132711862365500\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/10\/football-final-top-10-of-2013.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8787132711862365500"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8787132711862365500"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/10\/football-final-top-10-of-2013.html","title":"Football: Final Top 10 of 2013"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8294555752447716033"},"published":{"$t":"2013-10-03T00:13:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-10-03T00:17:42.521-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: First Top 10 of October"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"This week's ballots from our staff (in order \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/releases\/top10-6\"\u003Eafter the official listing\u003C\/a\u003E: Neate Sager, myself, Kevin Garbuio, Jared Book, Andrew Bucholtz):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd. It was their closest win of the season ... but they still beat a top-5 team by three scores.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st. Second place overall for the first time all year. The last time Laval gave up as many as 38 points in a regular-season game \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportetudiant-stats.com\/universitaire\/football\/stats\/2003\/conoct04.htm\"\u003Ewas almost exactly ten years ago\u003C\/a\u003E, though they did beat Concordia 59-7 a month after that. Also lost to McMaster 41-38 recently in a game you may remember.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 3rd. Good position to be in this week, with a road game vs. the second-place team with 12 points to give, then a pair of home games vs. below-.500 teams.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th, 6th, 3rd, 5th, 5th. Two of the five of us put them ahead of Queen's. They miss Western this year, so that helps inflate the record somewhat.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th, 3rd, 5th, 3rd, 6th. By our standards, this is disagreement. Personally I didn't think that much less of Queen's after losing to Western.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, unranked, 8th, 8th, 4th. See earlier comment about how I never know where to put this team. Their only loss is on the road at Calgary, but three of their wins are by just a combined 14 points.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 5th, 6th, 6th, 7th. No points in the second half vs. Sherbrooke and just a TD, rouge, and safety in the first half? I'm not sure why I have them 5th.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBishop's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 8th, unranked, 7th, 9th, 8th. As noted, only the third team (if my research is complete) who have put 38 on Laval; the other two went on to win the Vanier and lose the Dunsmore. You'd have to think the Gaiters would take even the latter result at the beginning of this year. A note of concern: with Concordia and McGill comprising half their schedule this year, and squeaking out two Sherbrooke wins, they are basically 6-0 in those games alone, when most teams on this list would be no worse than 5-1.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; I was the only one to rank them, at 10th. I had Windsor higher, though, which leads me to note that, just as there is no such thing as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/hardballtalk.nbcsports.com\/2013\/09\/30\/blown-call-looms-large-in-seventh-inning-of-game-163\/\"\u003Ea bad call that goes against the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays\u003C\/a\u003E, there is no such thing as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/eh-game\/laurier-golden-hawks-were-hosed-winning-touchdown-homecoming-215704648.html\"\u003Ea bad call that goes against Laurier\u003C\/a\u003E (he said, looking for some reason to justify spending five years at Waterloo).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; Only Andrew ranked them, and he put them 9th. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8294555752447716033\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/10\/football-first-top-10-of-october.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8294555752447716033"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8294555752447716033"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/10\/football-first-top-10-of-october.html","title":"Football: First Top 10 of October"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6971576683238384834"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-24T15:57:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-24T15:58:29.031-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Top 10 for Sept. 24"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"This week's ballots from our staff (in order \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/releases\/top10-5\"\u003Eafter the official listing\u003C\/a\u003E: Neate Sager, myself, Kevin Garbuio, Jared Book, Andrew Bucholtz):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st. Overall they had 21 of 30 first-place votes, the others going to Western. Jared says, \"I had Western #1 last week but felt Laval's win over Montreal was enough to separate them from the pack. I'm not penalizing Montreal much (I had them ahead of Laval last week) for losing to a top team.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd. It gives me no pleasure to put them No. 1, I assure you.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 3rd. Big game coming this weekend, obviously, but that one has the potential to be like a 20-point blowout.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 5th. Andrew Buch-ing the trend is more like it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th, 5th, 6th, 5th, 4th. The separation between teams is getting more and more clear as the season goes on, as usually happens. Nobody out west has defeated the Dinos this year and with Alberta up next that's not about to change.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 6th, 5th, 6th, 7th. You can tell a lot about a CIS football follower by how close they think Mac and Guelph are in quality, and how certain that person appears to be about that belief.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, 8th, 7th, 7th, 6th. I never know where to put them.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBishop's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 8th, unranked, 9th, 8th, 8th. I said to Neate while kibbitzing over our ballots that the Gaiters have out-Guelphed Guelph this year, with two 1-point wins. The average voter who isn't me put them around 8th\/9th.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; unranked, 9th, 8th, unranked, unranked. Are still the owners of the toughest schedule so far in CIS football, definitely higher than Guelph (12th) and Queen's (16th) and Western (26th). This does not mean they are better (or even as good) as those teams, but it cannot be ignored either, no matter if they have three losses.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; unranked, unranked, unranked, unranked, 10th. Our No. 10 teams were (in the same order) Windsor, Acadia, Windsor, and McGill. I actually had Windsor 7th, since I am playing the long game apparently. The five of us, one-eighth of the voters, accounted for 40% of Windsor's support and 100% of McGill's.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6971576683238384834\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-top-10-for-sept-24.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6971576683238384834"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6971576683238384834"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-top-10-for-sept-24.html","title":"Football: Top 10 for Sept. 24"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2794948791464666901"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-17T22:20:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-17T22:24:57.680-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Top 10 ballots for Sept. 17"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"This week's ballots from our staff (in order \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/releases\/top10-4\"\u003Eafter the official listing\u003C\/a\u003E: Neate Sager, myself, Andrew Bucholtz):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; You know them. The schedulers did us all a favour with Mac-Guelph on Saturday afternoon but Laval-Montreal on Sunday instead.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd, 2nd, 2nd. You know them, too.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd, 3rd, 3rd. The CIS Blog cabal (there is no cabal) will brook no dissent among its UFRC voters.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th, 4th, 5th. Case in point. This is obviously unacceptable. Pure Western bias from Bucholtz, who after all \u003Ci\u003Eshares a first name\u003C\/i\u003E with the Calgary QB. (What else do they share? We don't know. He won't say.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th, 6th, 4th. Really, though, it's impossible to know where the Dinos stand vs. eastern teams this year. They are the best in their conference, but one does not need a vote to divine this.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 5th, 6th. Already have two wins by more than a touchdown in three games, after just 3 of 10 last year.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, 7th, 7th. We're out of the top six and have yet to see one of us go more than one spot off the voters' consensus. This often happens in these sorts of votes \u0026mdash; the reason being, honestly, that nobody really knows what's going on.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 10th, 10th, 8th. It's not quite right to call their game at Calgary this weekend a must-win. Even if they win it, they'd have to match the Dinos W for W the rest of the way to avoid going back there in the playoffs. They have to beat Calgary in November, not September.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 8th, 8th, unranked. Fun fact, by which I mean not all that fun and barely a fact: Mac's SRS after four games is +10.7, Guelph's +10.9. That doesn't mean UG homecoming will necessarily be that close but it would definitely make up for the nationally-televised pounding Mac absorbed from the powerful purple ponies at the juiced Joyce joint. (Sorry, I slipped into my Frid St. accent for a bit there.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBishop's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; unranked, unranked, 10th. Bucholtz ... \u003Ci\u003Ebuch\u003C\/i\u003E ... book ... brook ... Sherbrooke. You can't make this stuff up. Andrew probably donated to pro-municipal amalgamation causes, too.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2794948791464666901\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-top-10-ballots-for-sept-17.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2794948791464666901"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2794948791464666901"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-top-10-ballots-for-sept-17.html","title":"Football: Top 10 ballots for Sept. 17"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8569845515026489845"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-10T17:05:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-10T17:05:31.560-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Top 10 for Sept. 10"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Here are our ballots (in order after the official listing: Neate Sager, myself, Kevin Garbuio):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; Take a guess.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd, 3rd, 4th. This set of votes along with the next one are minimally amusing...\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd, 2nd, 2nd. We seem to like the Mustangs more. Are we overreacting to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-no-mercy-for-mac-in-westerns.html\"\u003Eone game\u003C\/a\u003E?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th, 4th, 3rd. Beat a top 10 team! Well, sort of.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th, 6th, 6th. A consensus of sorts begins to emerge among our staff. Actually have a lower point differential than Manitoba, for what that's worth.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 7th, 5th. Quite close to losing that game Saturday but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-huskies-bisons-display-top-10.html\"\u003Estill a talented team as Kevin observed\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, 5th, 7th. Probably would have moved up if they had played (and won) this past week, in the middle of the slight OUA shakeup.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 8th, 9th, 9th. Are we going to get any dissension here? Come on, fellow voters!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 9th, 8th, 9th. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-our-top-10-ballots-for-sep-3-9.html\"\u003EIs Jared's middle name \"Prescient\"?\u003C\/a\u003E They're one spot ahead of an AUS team now. \"Remember Dad, all glory is fleeting.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; unranked by all of us. I put Windsor 10th as a pure hunch.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8569845515026489845\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-top-10-for-sept-10.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8569845515026489845"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8569845515026489845"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-top-10-for-sept-10.html","title":"Football: Top 10 for Sept. 10"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2121608020379846528"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-09T11:17:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-09T11:17:48.466-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Huskies, Bisons display Top 10 skill in Winnipeg"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKevin Garbuio\u003C\/b\u003E looks at this week's exciting Saskatchewan\/Manitoba game.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile most of CIS football deals with a parity issue, Canada West has proved to be the most competitive conference so far. The CanWest game of the week featured a potential Hardy Bowl matchup with the Saskatchewan Huskies visiting the Manitoba Bisons and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20130907_h3j2.xml\"\u003Eedging out a 36-34 victory\u003C\/a\u003E at the state of the art Investors Group Field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth teams are interesting on paper this year, especially at QB. \u003Cb\u003EDrew Burko\u003C\/b\u003E might be the best pure passer in the CIS and he is only in his second year while Manitoba has a great playmaker in former CJFL star \u003Cb\u003EJordan Yantz\u003C\/b\u003E. When young quarterbacks play, it is normal to see the players look to hit checkdowns and pass up deep throws. These two are not afraid to air it out and both showed that they can be elite. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat was most impressive was how they each used the entire field. Yantz showed his ability to hit the 12- to 15-yard seam and took advantage of a banged-up \u003Cb\u003EMark Ingram\u003C\/b\u003E in the Huskie secondary. The heralded rookie showed his composure leading the Bisons back from being down 12 to give them the lead. He finished the game 25-for-41 passing with a cool 377 yards passing for 2 TDs, and also chipped in with 53 on the ground. Not bad for only his second CIS game. His 66-yard bomb to \u003Cb\u003EAnthony Coombs\u003C\/b\u003E late in the 4th was particularly impressive. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENonetheless, the story of this game offensively had to be Drew Burko.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBurko over the first two games seems to be building a nice case for the conference’s Hec Crighton candidacy. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns. HIs ability to make quick reads but still trust his arm to stretch the field was what stood out. He was only sacked twice and while the offensive line certainly deserves its fair share of the credit for keeping their passer clean, Burko does not hold the ball long and makes great decisions. Sometimes players rely too much on their intangibles and that hubris can lead to mistakes. Burko, again, makes quick correct decisions, that at the very least, keep his team in games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year, Burko and \u003Cb\u003EKit Hillis\u003C\/b\u003E were a top tandem in CanWest football but fifth-year wideout \u003Cb\u003EMitch Stevens\u003C\/b\u003E has been his go to especially when it comes to dialing up touchdowns. Stevens already has four touchdowns this season and scored a 68 yarder in this game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth teams had their fair share of success passing the ball but the running backs both chipped in with positive games. \u003Cb\u003EShane Buchanan\u003C\/b\u003E finished with 100 yards on the ground for the Huskies along with a 46-yard TD. That score came off a beautifully executed draw play, a play the Huskies executed later for a 21-yard gain. On the other side, Coombs (Shaw's \u003Cb\u003EJim Mullin\u003C\/b\u003E Hec favourite) had another standout performance with 85 yards rushing and 117 receiving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe game certainly had its drama at the end with Manitoba up one. Saskatchewan was stopped on the one-yard line and turned the ball over on downs with only 1:08 remaining on the clock. Manitoba wisely ran the ball on the first play but then on 2nd down decided to pass, which was incomplete. This forced a punt from the Bison 1. With only 18 seconds remaining on the clock, \u003Cb\u003EDenton Kolodzinski\u003C\/b\u003E, already 4 for 4, capped his day with a 40-yard field goal to send the Huskies home with the narrow win. \u2028\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThese teams face each other again in Saskatoon on October 18th.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2121608020379846528\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-huskies-bisons-display-top-10.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2121608020379846528"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2121608020379846528"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-huskies-bisons-display-top-10.html","title":"Football: Huskies, Bisons display Top 10 skill in Winnipeg"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3675238933989038039"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-04T18:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-10T13:15:45.951-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Our Top 10 ballots for Sep. 3-9"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-first-top-10-of-2013.html?showComment=1378011520661#c354613523556565471\"\u003Ecomment on last week's post\u003C\/a\u003E said that the Top 10 doesn't really matter, as \"Laval will go 9-0 and win their four playoff games to win the Vanier Cup.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm happy to report that this is not true: the Quebec schedule is only eight games this year. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E...okay, yes, that's still right.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere are our ballots (in order after the official listing: Neate Sager, myself, Kevin Garbuio, Jared Book). \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/releases\/top10-2\"\u003EYour official Top 10 is here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; Pass.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd by all of us except Jared who had them 3rd. I knew I had them too low before they beat McMaster, and while they looked good in that game, they also kind of had no business winning it and I didn't move Mac down a lot as a result (nor did I move Queen's up because of it).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd. Got some credit for beating up on Concordia. I kept them at 5 under the assumption that they should be doing that to Concordia.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th, 6th, 5th, 5th. Other times I would suggest that the Western-friendly (or Western-alumni) contingent of voters had their hand in this, with the Mustangs very close to being in third, but this is a good team. Can we please ensure their game on Saturday doesn't take 3 and a half hours? No? Fine.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 4th, 4th, 4th. Closer than they probably would have liked against UBC. We're fairly sure they're the best in the West but not really up to national standards.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd, 3rd, 7th, unranked. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jaredbook\/status\/375267710810083330\"\u003EJared forgot Mac on his ballot this week\u003C\/a\u003E and reports he is suitably embarrassed by that. It wouldn't have changed the outcome of the top 10 list anyway. The only way this No. 6 ranking will look silly at the end is if they win the OUA, or come close in the Yates Cup and the OUA champ is competitive or better in the bowl games.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 8th, 7th, 6th, unranked. Kevin put Guelph above Mac, warning us not to sleep on the Gryphs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, 9th, 8th, 9th. Back to a near-consensus opinion. The Huskies moved up a spot from last week in the overall rankings, though I dropped them four spots mostly because they got shuffled down, not because of anything they did themselves.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 10th, 8th, 10th, 6th. Scoring 65 is impressive. Allowing 41 (to Alberta) is not.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBishop's\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 9th, unranked, unranked, 8th. Wouldn't be on here if Sherbrooke got another two points. Ah, the instability of the 10 spot.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3675238933989038039\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-our-top-10-ballots-for-sep-3-9.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3675238933989038039"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3675238933989038039"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/09\/football-our-top-10-ballots-for-sep-3-9.html","title":"Football: Our Top 10 ballots for Sep. 3-9"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-9098783032028108955"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-30T16:43:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-30T21:58:03.818-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Canada West football recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Regina Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2013 Canada West Preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EContinuing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-oua-preview_25.html\"\u003Eour previews\u003C\/a\u003E, Kevin Garbuio and Andrew Bucholtz discuss some key questions about the Canada West teams ahead of Friday's kickoffs.\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E GENERAL:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EJust how well does Canada West stack up nationally? The last two years have seen the conference champion (Calgary both seasons) pummelled 41-10 by Laval and 45-6 by McMaster in national semifinals. Are those results indicative that Canada West is behind the best Ontario and Quebec teams, or were they more anomalies?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E The West right now is the third conference, but that could soon change. Calgary is a great program, and they should always be in the conversation, but the last two years they ran into the cream of the crop when it came to the CIS. McMaster and Laval were the two top teams and it wasn’t a fluke that they met up in the finals. The rest of the West has been forced to play catch-up, but it looks like the conference is getting stronger. With the Okanagan Sun rumored to join the CIS (with UBC-Okanagan), it shows the game is growing. More players are playing which means more talent should be reaching the university ranks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe major issue that has plagued the West has been the change in recruiting models. Teams can no longer rely exclusively on the junior ranks. The five in seven rule (players have 7 years to complete their five years of eligibility after high school. CEGEP is excluded) has hurt many programs. Junior-alum-heavy teams like the '07 Manitoba Bisons are things of the past, forcing many teams to rely on developing 18-year-olds with coaching. Great coaching isn’t cheap, and it comes at a cost. McGill, U of T and Carleton recently opened their coffers and spent large sums of money bringing in top level coaching. With CanWest schools like Calgary getting huge donations, it will be interesting to see how the money is spent. Long-term success in the CIS is easy to predict: the team that spends the most money on coaching usually wins.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003ECalgary's results in the national semifinals the last two years certainly haven't been great, but that doesn't necessarily diminish the whole conference. A two-game sample size against very strong teams isn't a lot to go on. It would be hard to put Canada West's top teams ahead of the best in Ontario or Quebec right now, but it's still quite conceivable a Canada West team could make the Vanier \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-everyone-looking-knock-off-laval-anyone-221636539.html\"\u003Eand perhaps even upset Laval\u003C\/a\u003E. There's good depth at the top of the conference, too, with the Dinos looking strong again but the Huskies, Bisons and Rams looking to knock them off. Kevin's quite right that Canada West schools need to adjust to the new junior eligibility rules and need to catch up to the investments in coaching and facilities \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-mcmaster-laval-vanier-shows-finances-importance-225202113.html\"\u003Emany high-profile Ontario and Quebec schools are making\u003C\/a\u003E, but it may not be as great a divide as those national semifinals suggested. There are good programs out West, and while they have work to do to rebuild the conference's reputation, it's far from a hopeless cause.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E (9-1 in conference last year, +24.3 SRS): \u003Ci\u003EWill the Dinos be able to keep their stranglehold on Canada West titles despite some key departures?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E The Dinos' ability to send talent to the next level is impressive. Players like Matt Walter, Nathan Coehoorn, Linden Gaydosh, Mike Edem, Steven Lumbala, etc., are all contributing this season in the CFL. These contributions have to come at a cost, though, and at some point CFL U has to rebuild to a certain extent. The Dinos only lost a few starters on offence and return QB Eric Dzwilewski. The fourth-year pivot had an impressive season in 2012 and probably feels snubbed about not receiving an All-Canadian award. On defence they are new, with only one returning starter in the secondary. They will have to overcome growing pains early on but a program like Calgary should be able to reload at many of the spots where they graduated players. This might be one of the weaker teams Coach Nill has fielded at U of C, (remember: the bar is set fairly high at U of C) and this could be the year they are knocked off, but I can’t see anyone knocking off the Dinos. The team should start slow but they have a top coaching staff and a great program. Until someone shows they can defeat Calgary it is hard to bet against Blake Nill.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EThis definitely is a Calgary team with less big names than we've seen in the recent past, and their defence is going to be tested early and often. However, while it might be a weaker Dinos' squad than recent editions, they still look like the class of Canada West at the moment, and they very well could have some unexpected players step up. The \"CFL U\" reputation that saw \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/godinos.com\/news\/2013\/5\/6\/FB_0506132049.aspx\"\u003Efive Dinos chosen in this year's draft\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and 17 players (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/godinos.com\/news\/2013\/6\/27\/FB_0627131551.aspx\"\u003Emore than any other school\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Canada or the U.S.) in the CFL to start this year is one that's really boosted Calgary's recruiting, and there are some great players who may well start making an impact for them sooner rather than later. It's a young Dinos' squad, but several of their new starters have already impressed (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/godinos.com\/news\/2013\/8\/28\/FB_0828134550.aspx?path=football\"\u003Eincluding\u003C\/a\u003E new offensive tackles\u0026nbsp;Jordan Filippelli and Braden Schram). They still look like the team to beat.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegina \u003C\/b\u003E(7-3, +5.3): \u003Ci\u003EHow will this team replace Marc Mueller at QB? How will he do in his new role as a QB coach?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E If Regina is relying on their next quarterback to be Marc Mueller, they are setting themselves up to fail. While Cayman Shutter has experience coming from the University of Hawaii, he still will have some big shoes to fill. The QB, who is entering his third year of eligibility, should be mature enough (agewise) to live in a CIS legend’s shadow but he should not be expected to match his new coach’s production. That pressure should be on the Rams' veteran group of receivers. That unit is going to have to step up as Shutter adjusts to the Canadian game. The Rams also lost four offensive linemen, which could be a bigger loss than Mueller, but with a veteran at QB and some talent recievers they could elevate some pressure with some early success. As for the question about Mueller at QB, it is always interesting to see how former great players do when coaching immediately after playing football. in the past players like Ryan Pyear, Michael Faulds, Chris Judd and Benoit Groulx have all moved seamlessly from being top quarterbacks to being top coaches so it woudn’t be a shock for him to be successful. In this case, like Judd and Pyear, he is coaching a lot of the same players he played with, which can always be an issue. (A line worker moving to management, a friend becoming a boss, it is the same thing in sports and testosterone.) Mueller brings a wealth of experience (a CFL camp) and comes from a coaching pedigree (grandson of Ron Lancaster.) The easiest answer would be: Mueller will do fine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EI like Mueller's move to coaching: he's a great football mind, and one that should be able to help elevate the Rams' offence. The move to go with Shutter is more of a risky one in my mind, though: he was born in Regina and lived there until he was 10, but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.leaderpost.com\/sports\/Cayman+Shutter+settling+with+Rams\/8670023\/story.html\"\u003Ehas spent most of his football career in the U.S.\u003C\/a\u003E, so he'll have a lot to learn about Canadian football. Bringing him in\u0026nbsp;may pay off down the road, but there are so many differences in the American and Canadian games (the bigger field, the three downs, the 12-a-side game dramatically shifting route and coverage packages) that it usually takes quite a while for U.S. quarterbacks to adapt. That may lead to some growing pains for Shutter early this season, especially with that offensive line turnover. He has a great Canadian quarterback to ask for help in Mueller, but it may take him some time to get used to how things work in CIS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E (5-4, -3.3): \u003Ci\u003EAfter a rebuilding year with a lot of young faces, are the Huskies ready to break through?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Saskatchewan is certainly a team on the rise. Drew Burko and Kit Hillis had chemistry last season, and with many players returning on offence, it is no surprise the Huskies were placed in the initial CIS top ten (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-first-top-10-of-2013.html\"\u003E#9\u003C\/a\u003E) despite going 5-4 last season. While defensively they lost a few starters, judging by the Huskies' recent recruiting success they have players ready to fill and contribute immediately. The Huskies look to be on the right track and setting themselves up for prolonged success with this young talent. They may be a year away from being for real but with Calgary on a down year, U of S might be able to surprise early.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EIn my mind, the Huskies are the most likely contender to potentially dethrone the Dinos as Canada West champions. Burko might be the best Canada West quarterback behind Dzwilewski, and he's certainly more proven at the CIS level than Shutter or Jordan Yantz. He's pretty efficient (a 65.3 per cent completion rate and 10 TDs against five picks last season) and should have another strong season at the helm of the Huskies' offence. Last year saw this team use plenty of young players in significant roles, and that was part of the reason they took a bit of a step back. In my mind, a lot of that young talent is ready for its spotlight. Just how well they do with the pressure on will determine if they can top Calgary, but they certainly have the potential to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E (4-5, -4.9): \u003Ci\u003EHow will Jordan Yantz do in his transition to the CIS level? Will playing at Investor's Group Field give the Bisons an edge, or will it be too cavernous?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E Yantz comes in with an impressive resume. He is one of the most highly touted players to come into the CIS in awhile. Manitoba hasn’t gotten a player with this much fanfare since Matt Henry bursted on the scene. The thing about quarterbacks is that they normally take some time to adjust to CIS. While the CJFL is a talented league and the BC conference has produced plenty of talent, it still isn’t CIS, and it will be interesting to see how Yantz does this season. As for the new stadium, if your name isn’t Laval, smaller is usually better. Big professional stadiums create weak atmospheres. Calgary and McGill struggle to do their high capacity stadiums justice and it usually gives a flat feel. While, it remains to be seen if Manitoba manages to pack in their newly minted stadium, I doubt it will be packed consistently.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EI like Yantz a lot, and I think he has the ability to be a great CIS quarterback. It says a lot about his potential that he's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thehuddle.co\/huddle\/yantz-to-start-for-bisons-in-season-opener\/\"\u003Ebeen anointed as the Bisons' starter Friday\u003C\/a\u003E. He'll have some pieces to work with, too, especially All-Canadian RB Anthony Coombs. I'm not sure we'll see that this year, though, especially early on: he'll be adjusting to both the CIS level of play and to his new teammates and coaching staff. However, I do think Investor's Group Field will work out well for the Bisons. It's a fantastic stadium, and with the Bombers struggling, cheaper Bisons' games may look like an appealing option for local football fans to get out and experience the new environment. We'll see just how many they draw, but they may well pick up some new fans from the move.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EUBC\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -11.7): \u003Ci\u003ECan Shawn Olson lead the T-Birds forward this season, or were last year's struggles suggestive of larger problems?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EUBC is looking to be a middle of the pack team this year. They return 14 total starters but returning that many for a team that struggled really doesn’t indicate success this year. Olson has a tough-luck record. His one year of success was wiped due to an ineligible player which leaves him with a 5-21 record entering his 4th season. The Thunderbirds need to prove two years ago wasn’t just a fluke, but realistically, a .500 season would be a triumph this year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EOlson certainly isn't in an easy spot, but there are some reasons to think the Thunderbirds may improve this season. Their offence \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ubyssey.ca\/sports\/ubc-football-preview-013\/\"\u003Eshould start on the ground\u003C\/a\u003E, where Brandon Deschamps is back after leading the conference with 785 rushing yards in 2012. Through the air, losing Billy Greene hurts, but Carson Williams has showed some promise, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gothunderbirds.ca\/news\/2013\/8\/28\/FB_0828131312.aspx\"\u003Ehe's learned under Greene for three seasons now\u003C\/a\u003E. Junior transfers Donovan Dale, Boyd Richardson, Yianni Cabylis, and Bobby Davis may help steady a defence that struggled this year. Beyond that, there are plenty of veterans coming back, and while they didn't all shine in 2012, that year of seasoning may help this team look much better this fall.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlberta \u003C\/b\u003E(0-8, -20.5): \u003Ci\u003EIs there any glimmer of hope, or are the Golden Bears going to be doormats again?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKG:\u003C\/b\u003E Again, just because teams are returning starters does not mean that they are going to eventually start winning, (although it does mean they have players who aren’t flunking) especially when those starters struggled so much the year before. Alberta is on the right track, returning talent is important but as mentioned earlier, money is important. Alberta needs to start bringing star recruits in order to create a buzz and change. Star recruits usually get grabbed by top coaches and money gets top coaches. Alberta should be better this year; largely due to the fact they can’t get worse. \u2028\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAB: \u003C\/b\u003EThere aren't a ton of reasons for significant optimism with the Golden Bears this season, and new head coach Chris Morris will have his work cut out for him. It will be more than just his team adapting too, as he's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.edmontonjournal.com\/2012\/12\/04\/morris-hiring-brings-much-needed-shot-of-optimism-to-bears-football\/\"\u003Enever coached at the university level before\u003C\/a\u003E. Morris does have a strong background as a CFL player with the Eskimos and a high school coach and administrator locally, though, so he knows what he's getting into, and there are some intriguing names on his staff, including \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bears.ualberta.ca\/Teams\/Football\/Roster\/Profile.aspx?type=coach\u0026amp;id=569\"\u003EOL coach Tim Prinsen\u003C\/a\u003E (who used to hold that position with the Eskimos). Turning the Golden Bears around is going to take time and effort, but Morris does seem to have a clear plan, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.edmontonjournal.com\/Golden+Bears+football+program+undergoes+plenty+changes+greater+focus+academic+excellence\/8795265\/story.html\"\u003Ethe rigorous off-season workout program he implemented\u003C\/a\u003E is a step in the right direction. Results this year won't be easy, but the Golden Bears could lay the foundation for better years down the road.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/9098783032028108955\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-canada-west-preview.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9098783032028108955"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9098783032028108955"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-canada-west-preview.html","title":"Football: 2013 Canada West Preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Andrew Bucholtz"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14156615450275929751"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PYfWMgcgT4k\/Vs738VQPajI\/AAAAAAAAApE\/c7WzHdUaERU\/s113\/Profile%2B1.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5297705384015576396"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-27T16:59:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-27T17:53:09.267-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vert et Or"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: First Top 10 of 2013"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Otherwise known as \"Differing Opinions on OUA Teams.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere's only so much we can do with these votes. Three years ago, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2010\/05\/football-did-fans-vote-differently.html\"\u003EI found that two separate lists of CIS football top 10 votes were largely the same\u003C\/a\u003E, moving teams up when they win and down more quickly when they lose. It's not easy to be informed about teams from across the country, to say the least (and to say something unoriginal, for that matter).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs well, it's the first week, and basically by definition it's too early to tell who's who. In the first vote of 2010, the Mustangs were 8th, Rouge et Or 2nd, and Dinos 1st \u0026mdash; a few months later, that supposed No. 1 team would get blown out in the Vanier by the No. 2 team, and the No. 8 team would play Laval close in a bowl game. Saskatchewan opened at No. 3 that year and bowed out of the postseason after a conference semifinal. In the beginning in 2011, No. 3 McMaster lost to No. 2 Western and stayed below them for 8 of the 10 weeks, despite eventually winning it all, dispatching the Mustangs along the way without much effort. In fact, in each of the last three years, the No. 1 preseason team didn't win the Vanier Cup (though they did play in it, each time), a factoid that says nothing about Laval's chances this year but everything about reading too much into early-season polls.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHaving said all that, it does get us talking about the game, which is enough of a reason. Here, then, are the ballots from our staff (myself, Andrew Bucholtz, Neate Sager, Kevin Garbuio), compared to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2013-14\/releases\/top10-1\"\u003Ethe official release\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; Ranked 1st by all of us. Least surprising ranking in the history of ranking things.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 3rd by Neate, 2nd by Andrew, and 5th and 6th by those of us who didn't go to that school. Kidding, of course. Actually the average difference between Queen's (141 points in the vote) and No. 6 McMaster (122) is just one spot per voter, showing how they, and all the teams in between, are mixed together in a mess of August uncertainty. This is a pretty good team and I fully expect that 6th is the lowest I'll ever have them this year.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 5th on Neate's ballot, 3rd on mine and Andrew's, unranked by Kevin. I will admit to a \"oh, come on\" response to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.godinos.com\/news\/2013\/8\/24\/FB_0824134105.aspx?path=football\"\u003Ethe 32-3 exhibition loss to Laval\u003C\/a\u003E, mostly because it allowed me to make facile comparisons to that awful 2010 Vanier, possibly the worst football game I've watched all the way through. But I didn't use it to push the Dinos down (not that my No. 3 ranking is inherently correct; see earlier comment about reading too much into these). Also our first case of someone ranking a team outside the Top 6 (the fictional existence of which satisfies long-held personal belief that there should not be a Top 10 in a league this size).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; Ranked 8th by Neate and 7th by Kevin, then 4th by the rest. Beat Toronto by 36, which was only the third-most lopsided OUA score of the opening weekend.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 4th on Neate's ballot, 6th on Andrew's and Kevin's, 5th on mine. Not much to say here. They'll get moved up if they're undefeated in non-Laval games, and certainly will be if they actually beat them.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 2nd by Neate, 7th by Andrew, 8th by Kevin, 2nd by me. Either Neate and I are both right, and this team will succeed regardless of the players they graduated, or we're both wrong (in which case we are at least not alone), or it means absolutely nothing and you stopped reading five sentences ago.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 6th, 9th, 2nd, 8th. With the exception of Kevin's No. 2 ranking, here's a clear illustration of our consensus opinion on the top 5\/6 teams in the country. Their win over Laurier, by 14 points, is technically the closest result in all of CIS football this year, and observations like those are definitely why you stopped reading now.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESherbrooke\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 9th, 10th, 4th, 7th. They got some love last year after beating Montreal in the playoffs (following an 0-2 season series in which they were outscored 53-20). 8th seems about right for now.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; 7th, 5th, 3rd, unranked. A popular approach with the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s was to assume that they will win their division every year until they don't. The opposite version of that rule of thumb has no relevance whatsoever to the Huskies, not at all.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba\u003C\/b\u003E \u0026mdash; unranked, 8th, unranked, unranked. What does it mean to be No. 10 in the first ranking of a CIS football season? It means three of four semi-randomly-chosen voters don't think you're a top 10 team.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5297705384015576396\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-first-top-10-of-2013.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5297705384015576396"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5297705384015576396"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-first-top-10-of-2013.html","title":"Football: First Top 10 of 2013"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6938039515125947753"},"published":{"$t":"2013-07-29T11:52:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-07-29T11:52:11.330-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Calculated Reactions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Heat"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"inaccuracies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sea-Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wesmen"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Calculated Reactions: A more complete look at assists (and other things)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Longtime readers may recall \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2010\/12\/calculated-reactions-hold-me-now-i-need.html\"\u003Ean analysis from about three years ago\u003C\/a\u003E that looked at \"the strange inconsistencies in the scorekeeping in CIS basketball.\" Mostly, it was the allocation of assists in different venues that raised a few eyebrows. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI didn't speculate on the reasons for those discrepancies then, because I'm not an expert on the FIBA rulebook and also because it was based on only one year of play, the 2009-10 season. However, over the last little while I've expanded and improved that study to include six years of women's play and five years of men's play (2007-08 to 2012-13 for WBB, and 2008-09 to 2012-13 for MBB). This is the new version.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe basic methodology here is lifted from baseball, specifically park adjustments. In baseball, the question is how much does the venue (dimensions, climate, altitude) affect scoring? In CIS basketball, the games are obviously weather-controlled, and no gym can really affect the scoring rate overall or the outcome of the game, but the subjective statistics are affected \u0026mdash; undeniably \u0026mdash; by the officials and statkeepers at each school. Assists are the most obvious but it happens in other categories as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/about\/parkadjust.shtml\"\u003EThere is a complicated way to calculate these factors for baseball parks\u003C\/a\u003E but the key ingredient for any particular team's park factor is runs scored and allowed at home divided by runs scored and allowed on the road. For our purposes, it's not runs or points per game, but assists per field goal, or blocks per game, and so on. This allows us to control for the team's tendencies: different teams legitimately have more or fewer assists than others, or allow more or fewer, and that isn't part of the subjectivity or bias or mistakes introduced by the referees or anyone else.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat we get at the end is an adjustment that we can use to \"correct\" assist totals (again, or blocks or anything else that is systematically over- or under-counted in each venue) for each player on that team. Outside of a few cases it doesn't end up making a big difference in the overall numbers but it is still worthwhile to be aware of these things, especially with some of the examples I'm about to introduce.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_0bAMSRevU5M\/TPz6k-nfFKI\/AAAAAAAAA7M\/wAjsnTCW0S8\/s1600\/mbbassist0910.png\"\u003Eyou remember Memorial\u003C\/a\u003E. Let's use them as an example. When we add it all up, we find that in their home games (women's only, for simplicity), both teams combined for 2664 assists on 3132 field goals, or a rate of 85%. In Memorial's road games, both teams combined for 1577 on 2860 \u0026mdash; 54%. Not quite the same, is it? Dividing the home rate by the road rate and correcting for the other AUS gyms gives us 1.43, which means assists are given out 43% more often at MUN than they \"should\" be, when compared to the rest of the AUS statistics. Since half of a player's games are played at home, we take half of the difference between 1.43 and 1, so about 1.21, and that is what we'd use as a generic adjustment to a Memorial player's assist totals. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the most recent year there wasn't a Memorial player near the top of the CIS leaderboards in assists, but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2011-12\/players?sort=ast\u0026view=\u0026pos=bt\u0026r=0\"\u003Ein 2011-12\u003C\/a\u003E their assists leader was 12th (4th in AUS), and 14th on a per-game basis, with 81 in 20 games. According to what we've just done here, the corrected number of assists should be 81 \/ 1.21, or 67, which would move her from 12th to a tie for 26th. Those 14 assists don't change wins into losses or anything that severe, but they do change our perception of players, and it wouldn't surprise me if some coaches have decided to disregard assist totals completely given this and similar results.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat are those similar results, you ask? Here are the top 10 gyms for assist over-allocation (broken down into both the men's and women's games even if the scorekeepers are the same), among schools with more than one season of CIS play:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMost extreme assist over-allocation\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E43% Memorial WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E39% Memorial MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E21% Lakehead MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E20% UBC MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E17% Lakehead WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E16% Winnipeg WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E14% Manitoba WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E14% UBC WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E14% Western MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E13% Brock WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENote that MRU also had very high numbers (21% women, 20% men) but it's only one year for them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth Memorial and Lakehead being on this list isn't a shock. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2010\/11\/mens-basketball-national-top-ten_22.html\"\u003EWe have noticed Western's proclivity before\u003C\/a\u003E but they are not in the same league as MUN. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBecause those differences at Memorial are so stark, while I was in the process of researching this, I sent a preliminary version of the above analysis to their sports information department and asked if they could explain, and received a response via email from the athletic director, \u003Cb\u003EMichelle Healey\u003C\/b\u003E. She actually said she hadn't heard about this before (not that she necessarily would have, with much more on her plate than basketball scorekeeping): \"We have never had this point raised by any team – home or visiting, so it’s the first time it has come to my attention.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHealey also said that \"obviously there must be an incorrect interpretation of an assist being made by our minor officials group that oversee our stats\" and that the very high assist rate \"definitely indicates that the assist stat is being incorrectly applied.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EActually chasing down the spotter for their basketball games and asking \"what's the deal?\" would be an unreasonable amount of effort, either for me to do or to expect them to do, not to mention it's the middle of the summer. And while I cannot comment on the reliability or qualifications of their statkeepers, this is an example of what could happen when one has to rely on improperly-trained staff. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/guelphmercury.blogs.com\/big_man_on_campus\/2008\/02\/dont-totally-bl.html\"\u003EHere is another example\u003C\/a\u003E, which I still cannot believe happened.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile it's not surprising to see MUN at the top of the list, it is a little unexpected if indeed nobody has ever brought this up to anyone there. This has been a consistent issue for as long as I've been following CIS basketball, and almost certainly longer than that. Coaches devour all statistics they can find on their players and would definitely notice these differences.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's possible that I care about this more than anyone else (in which case this may represent my last piece on the matter), or that coaches simply don't see the benefit in complaining \u0026mdash; or, of course, some other possibility.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat about the flip side? If some schools over-allocate assists, others should under-allocate them, right?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou bet:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMost extreme assist under-allocation\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E-20% UPEI MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-19% UPEI WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-18% McGill WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-18% Ryerson MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-16% Saskatchewan WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-16% Calgary MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-15% Ryerson WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-13% Guelph WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-13% Waterloo WBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E-12% Carleton MBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Again a recent Canada West entrant makes an appearance on the \"not enough games to qualify for this list\" list; this time, it's UNBC who are at -27% for men's games and -24% for women's games.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'll leave it up to people who have seen more games than I have at UPEI (0) or Ryerson (2) to comment on what may be going on there. But you can see it's not on the same scale as Memorial, either.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's not just assists that introduce subjectivity. Blocks and pretty much any foul could, potentially, be called or awarded by one crew but not by another. Here are the most extreme stats from all other categories:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMost extreme over- and under-allocation, everything but assists\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E60% Manitoba WBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E54% UBC WBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E41% SMU WBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E40% UBC Okanagan MBB - FTA per FGA\u003Cbr \/\u003E32% Winnipeg MBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E---\u003Cbr \/\u003E-56% Saskatchewan MBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E-54% Saskatchewan WBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E-42% UBC Okanagan MBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E-39% UFV WBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E-31% UBC Okanagan WBB - blocks\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlocks are fairly uncommon, so it's not entirely accurate to say these numbers are more notable than a 43% overcounting of assists. Still: 60%, Manitoba?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe only other stat to show up here is related to shooting fouls in Kelowna (albeit based on just two years of data), and the related stat of fouls per game is right up there too (35%) which may indicate some whistle-happy tendencies among certain groups of officials there. If we extended that list past five schools, we'd see the opposite results with respect to fouls in games played at Manitoba and at Winnipeg: around 15% to 20% fewer foul calls compared to the Canada West average. Hard to find a ref in Winnipeg when you need one, I guess.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOther findings: the biggest variation in these variations (if you follow me...) from venue to venue is actually in block rate, followed by assist rate, then FT rate (FTA\/FGA, not FT%) and steals, all of which require some sort of judgement call from officials, at the table or elsewhere. Some schools are curiously high or low on offensive rebounds and turnovers as well (Saskatchewan, again, is low \u0026mdash; is there an undercounting epidemic in Saskatoon?).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAll of the above can be summed up like this: it only makes sense that different humans see things differently, but whether that should happen when recording the results of the game is up for debate.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6938039515125947753\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/07\/calculated-reactions-more-complete-look.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6938039515125947753"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6938039515125947753"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/07\/calculated-reactions-more-complete-look.html","title":"Calculated Reactions: A more complete look at assists (and other things)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3308353095046407558"},"published":{"$t":"2013-01-25T12:32:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-01-28T13:22:30.360-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Aigles Bleus"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pronghorns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Hockey: Suggestions for games to watch this weekend"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It is definitely crunch time in CIS men's hockey, with teams only having five or six games left in their regular season schedule going into this weekend. I of course encourage you to bundle up and head out to the rink to watch local games, but if you can't, here's some choice games you can watch online: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFriday\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAUS:\u003C\/b\u003E First place and #2 ranked \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/playerv2.streamit.ca\/PlayerV2.aspx?eventid=64\"\u003EUNB hosts 2nd place and #4 ranked Saint Mary's\u003C\/a\u003E. Last time these two teams tangled at the AUC in Fredericton it was a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/mens-hockey-aus-players-and-fans.html\"\u003Erefereeing debacle\u003C\/a\u003E. Hopefully this time the zebras let the top two teams in the AUS settle it even strength.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ERefereeing was not an issue in a playoff-style game played in front of over 3400 (including 1200 schoolkids and teachers). UNB survived 2 PP goals against in second period and broke the tie in the third period for 4-2 win in \"4-point\" game versus the Huskies.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOUA:\u003C\/b\u003E The top two teams in the OUA East meet in Trois-Rivières as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oraprdnt.uqtr.uquebec.ca\/pls\/public\/gscw031?owa_no_site=1610\u0026amp;owa_no_fiche=110\u0026amp;\"\u003EUQTR hosts Carleton\u003C\/a\u003E. The physical Ravens have been making some waves this year and this should be an interesting match against the historically dominant Patriotes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBit of a surprise score wise, as UQTR built up early lead and put the game away with three goals late in the third period for 5-1 win. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECanada West:\u003C\/b\u003E The top ranked and 1st place \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/canadawest.tv\/\"\u003EGolden Bears slide down the highway to play the rival Dinos\u003C\/a\u003E. Fourth place Calgary are an enigmatic team this season, but are 8-2 in their last 10 games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EClose game decided by Alberta third-period power play goal for 2-1 win. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaturday\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAUS:\u003C\/b\u003E While the first recommendation might be 4th place \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/playerv2.streamit.ca\/PlayerV2.aspx?eventid=64\"\u003EStFX at UNB\u003C\/a\u003E (as these teams really don't like each other), more excitement might be found in the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/live.streamit.ca\/?player=48\u0026amp;eventid=336\"\u003EUdeM-Dal\u003C\/a\u003E game as the Tigers are in must-win territory if they have any hope to pass les Aigles Bleus for the 6th and final playoff spot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStFX bounced back from a thumping the night before by UPEI to keep it close with UNB. The V-Reds didn't really pull away territorially until the third period and won 2-1. The UdeM-Dal games was a goalie's nightmare, ending 8-7 in OT for the Tigers. Dal won the battle but lost the war, as the one point for the overtime loss clinched the last playoff spot for les Aigles Bleus.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOUA:\u003C\/b\u003E Going by the CIS website, there are not a lot of webcast options Saturday, but the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oraprdnt.uqtr.uquebec.ca\/pls\/public\/gscw031?owa_no_site=1610\u0026amp;owa_no_fiche=110\u0026amp;\"\u003EOttawa at UQTR\u003C\/a\u003E game looks interesting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELooks like I somehow misread the schedule as UQTR did NOT host Ottawa. Oops. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECanada West:\u003C\/b\u003E Two choices on\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/canadawest.tv\/\"\u003E CanadaWest.tv\u003C\/a\u003E: Dinos are at Golden Bears in the second half of their home and home while Lethbridge tries to salvage their season in their second night hosting Manitoba.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EExciting game in Edmonton as the Golden Bears ruled the shot clock but lost 3-2 in the overtime shootout to the Dinos. The Pronghorns were dominiated by the Bisons for the second game in a row and lost 5-1.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3308353095046407558\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-hockey-suggestions-for-games-to.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3308353095046407558"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3308353095046407558"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/01\/mens-hockey-suggestions-for-games-to.html","title":"Men's Hockey: Suggestions for games to watch this weekend"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"David Kilfoil"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16821812362923440575"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"22","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_ZSfv79uXrWQ\/SmbzQBQU15I\/AAAAAAAAAAM\/-NRmEHNVB7o\/S220\/David.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4928161709372766440"},"published":{"$t":"2012-11-16T12:12:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-11-19T13:21:08.568-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Aigles Bleus"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Paladins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Hockey: Suggestions for games to watch this weekend"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I'm not sure if it is because of the CIS football playoffs this weekend, or maybe because the court sports are in full swing, but there's a paucity of hockey webcasts in the OUA and Canada West this weekend. Here's some suggestions for games to watch on your computer, since there's no NHL on TV.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFriday\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAUS: A couple of nationally ranked teams get at 'er as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/playerv2.streamit.ca\/PlayerV2.aspx?eventid=307\"\u003E#6 Moncton visits #10 Saint Mary's\u003C\/a\u003E in Halifax. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe game was close thanks to Moncton goaltender \u003Cb\u003EAdrien Lemay\u003C\/b\u003E's 49 saves. In overtime UdeM's\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMathieu Bolduc\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;scored the winner, shorthanded, for 3-2 road win.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOUA: The reigning national champ McGill Redmen are in in Trois-Rivières \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oraprdnt.uqtr.uquebec.ca\/pls\/public\/gscw031?owa_no_site=1610\u0026amp;owa_no_fiche=110\u0026amp;\"\u003Eto play #5 ranked UQTR\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELes Patriotes cruised to a 3-1 win.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECanadaWest: No games online, but Saskatchewan at Calgary looks interesting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Huskies were missing 2\/3 of their top line, and the rest of the team must have had bus legs as the Dinos pumped them 8-0.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaturday\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAUS: Battle for first place between #2 ranked Acadia and #4 ranked UNB in Fredericton. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/playerv2.streamit.ca\/PlayerV2.aspx?eventid=64\"\u003ETHE game of the week\u003C\/a\u003E in CIS men's hockey.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThis game delivered in very much a playoff feel on the ice. Acadia tied it up in the third, but Tyler Carroll scored the game winner and insurance goal for 4-2 win for the Varsity Reds. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOUA: Only game online has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ssncanada.ca\/game\/4322\/\"\u003ERMC at Toronto\u003C\/a\u003E, while Lakehead at Laurier is probably a better tilt.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Varsity Blues had an easy time with the Paladins, outshooting them 49-25 in 7-0 win. The Lancers upset the No. 8 ranked Thunderwolves 4-2 despite being outshot 44-28.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECanadaWest: Still no games online, and Manitoba at UBC would have made for fun late night viewing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETurns out the Lethbridge at Mount Royal game was webcast, but there was no play-by-play audio. Jesse Tresierra scored in double-overtime to win it 3-2 for the Cougars. The Bison and the Thunderbirds also went to 2OT, with Scott Wasden getting the 2-1 winner for UBC.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4928161709372766440\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/mens-hockey-suggestions-for-games-to.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4928161709372766440"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4928161709372766440"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/mens-hockey-suggestions-for-games-to.html","title":"Men's Hockey: Suggestions for games to watch this weekend"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"David Kilfoil"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16821812362923440575"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"22","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_ZSfv79uXrWQ\/SmbzQBQU15I\/AAAAAAAAAAM\/-NRmEHNVB7o\/S220\/David.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}}]}});