After 21 weeks in the CFL:
Ted Clarke: 1-1 last week; 43-25 overall
Peter James: 0-2 last week; 47-25 overall
Mark Nielsen: 0-2 last week; 41-27 overall
Grey Cup
Hamilton at Saskatchewan
TSN 3:30 p.m.
Clarke: The Roughriders started the season like gangbusters and that's how they're going to finish it. They've got the second-best rush attack in the CFL and their O-line made mincemeat of the Stampeders defence last week, which bodes well for Korey Sheets and Darian Durant. Sheets was on track to beat Jon Cornish for the rushing title before he got hurt and Durant is an accurate passer who packs power whenever he takes off on a QB sneak. Henry Burris still has the league's best arm. If he can find his primary targets, Andy Fantuz, Bakari Grant and Greg Ellingson , can avoid the 'Riders interception sharks, and discovers ways to rip holes in the number one defence in Canada, the Ticats could pull off the upset. This will be third Grey Cup appearance for most of the Saskatchewan guys and that big-game experience, plus the racket their home fans will bring, should be enough to swing it in their favour. Pick: Riders by three.
James: The last time the Tiger-Cats and the Roughriders with the Grey Cup on the line it went down as an all-time classic. This championship rematch more than two decades later might not be as close as Saskatchewan has too much going for them: a ground game suited for late-November outdoor games, a quarterback at the top of his game and a passionate hometown crowd yearning for what would be an epic celebration. The Riders will make it three straight years the Grey Cup has been won by a team playing in their home stadium. Pick: Riders by 12.
Nielsen: Don't forget, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated a Toronto Argonauts team that was without an effective running game due to the loss of Chad Kackert. In contrast, Roughriders' running back Korey Sheets was in fine form against Calgary last week, and arguably Saskatchewan's ground game poses a double threat thanks to the scrambling ability and toughness of quarterback Darian Durant.
Conversely, Sheets and Durant will face a much healthier defensive line against Hamilton than they did against Calgary, which had lost two starting interior linemen in that meaningless season ender against the B.C. Lions. That said, the Tiger-Cats' best bet will be to not only score but keep the Roughriders' potent offence off the field for as long as possible much like they did against Toronto last week. Burris and company will need to play as well as they ever have to overcome a highly-motivated Roughriders team. Pick: Riders by 10.
Bonus prediction: The University of Calgary Dinos will end the University of Laval Rouge et Or's dominance of CIS football and win the Vanier Cup on Saturday. (Sportsnet 360, 10 a.m. Pick: Dinos by 10.
