FRC – CIS Football Top 10 (#8): National leaders keep rolling

OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Western Ontario Mustangs top the Football Reporters of Canada – CIS rankings for the second consecutive week but they can feel the Calgary Dinos – the only other undefeated team in the country – breathing down their neck.

The OUA-leading Mustangs (7-0) received 17 of 29 first-place votes – four less than a week ago – and 273 points from the FRC panel to remain ahead of the Canada West-leading Dinos (6-0), who earned 11 first-place nods and 269 points. The gap between No. 1 and No. 2 last Tuesday was 21 points.

Western clinched top spot in Ontario for the first time since 1999 – along with a bye in the first round of the OUA playoffs – last weekend with a 21-9 win at Toronto (2-5). The Mustangs wrap up the regular season at Queen’s (5-2) on Saturday (1 p.m., live on The Score) with a chance to finish with an unblemished record for the first time since going 8-0 in 1998.

Calgary downed Saskatchewan 20-8 in Saskatoon last Friday, marking their first two-game sweep of the Huskies in conference play since 2000. The Dinos can secure first place in Canada West for the first time since 1995 when they host Manitoba (3-3) on Saturday.

There are no major changes behind the two leaders in the eighth national poll of the season as nine of the 10 teams ranked a week ago added a win to their record over the weekend.
The Laval Rouge et Or (6-1) and the Sherbrooke Vert & Or (6-1) remain third and fourth, respectively. Laval rebounded from its first loss in almost two years with a 57-9 domination of Bishop’s (2-5), while Sherbrooke beat Concordia (3-4) 31-11 for its sixth win of the campaign, a team record for the program that returned to CIS football in 2003.

First place in the RSEQ will be on the line Sunday when Sherbrooke visits the reigning Vanier Cup champions in Quebec City. The Rouge et Or, who are riding a CIS-record 48-game overall winning streak at home dating back to 2004, are 13-0 all-time versus the Vert & Or including a 40-27 road victory in the first head-to-head matchup of the season on Sept. 17 and a 22-17 home win in last year’s Quebec final.

Rounding out the new Top 10 are the No. 5 McMaster Marauders (6-1), No. 6 Montreal Carabins (4-3), No. 7 Saint Mary’s Huskies (5-1), No. 8 UBC Thunderbirds (4-2), No. 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-2) and No. 10 Saskatchewan Huskies (3-3).

McMaster leapfrogs Montreal for fifth place thanks to a one-point advantage in the FRC voting (163-162), marking the second straight week the Marauders and Carabins switch positions without suffering a loss. Despite the setback, Montreal received the remaining first-place vote for the second week in a row.

Saint Mary’s, UBC and Ottawa are all up one spot in the poll, while Saskatchewan drops three positions following its loss to second-ranked Calgary.

In addition to the Sherbrooke-Laval duel, other games to keep an eye on this weekend include No. 9 Ottawa at No. 5 McMaster on Saturday – with second place in the OUA on the line – and No. 7 Saint Mary’s at Acadia (5-1), also on Saturday – with the winner taking sole possession of first position in the AUS standings.

No. 1 Western (7-0): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 21-9 win at Toronto (2-5)… This week: Visit Queen’s (5-2) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Western last finished atop the OUA regular season standings in 1999 and hasn’t posted a perfect record in conference play since going 8-0 in 1998…

No. 2 Calgary (6-0): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 20-8 win at then-No. 7 Saskatchewan (3-3)… This week: Host Manitoba (3-3) Saturday at 1 p.m. MT… Heads-up: Calgary last finished atop the Canada West standings in 1995 with a 6-2 mark and has never gone undefeated in conference play since joining Canada West in 1964…

No. 3 Laval (6-1): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 57-9 home win over Bishop’s (2-5)… This week: Host No. 4 Sherbrooke (6-1) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Laval has won a CIS-record 48 consecutive games at home since a 14-13 conference loss to Montreal on Sept. 19, 2004, and is 13-0 overall against Sherbrooke since the Vert & Or returned to CIS football in 2003…

No. 4 Sherbrooke (6-1): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 31-11 home win over Concordia (3-4)… This week: Visit No. 3 Laval (6-1) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: With 30.4 points scored per game, Sherbrooke currently ranks second behind Laval (31.1 ppg) in Quebec and is trying to be the first RSEQ team to finish ahead of the Rouge et Or in scoring offence since Concordia in 2006…

No. 5 McMaster (6-1): Top 10 ranking: Up one position… Last week: 25-6 win at Laurier (3-4)… This week: Host No. 9 Ottawa (5-2) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: McMaster is 0-3 versus Ottawa in conference play since a 24-19 win in 2006, including a 43-35 loss a year ago in the nation’s capital…

No. 6 Montreal (4-3): Top 10 ranking: Down one position… Last week: 33-18 win at McGill (0-7)… This week: Visit Concordia (3-4) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Montreal is 6-9 overall against Concordia since its return to CIS football in 2002, including a 2-6 mark since the start of the 2006 season…

No. 7 Saint Mary’s (5-1): Top 10 ranking: Up one position… Last week: 37-18 win at StFX (1-5)… This week: Visit Acadia (5-1) Saturday at 2 p.m. AT… Heads-up: Saint Mary’s has won four straight overall against Acadia and 10 of the last 11 head-to-head meetings, including an 8-3 defensive battle on Oct. 1 in Halifax…

No. 8 UBC (4-2): Top 10 ranking: Up one position… Last week: 23-16 home win over Regina (2-4)… This week: Visit Alberta (0-6) Saturday at 1 p.m. MT… Heads-up: The T-Birds, who beat Alberta 40-30 on Sept. 17 in Vancouver, have secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2006 and hope to reach the five-win mark for the first time since a 5-3 campaign in 2004…

No. 9 Ottawa (5-2): Top 10 ranking: Up one position… Last week: 32-30 home win over Windsor (4-3)… This week: Visit No. 5 McMaster (6-1) Saturday at 1 p.m… Heads-up: With a victory over McMaster, Ottawa would reach the six-win plateau for the third straight season and for the sixth time in seven years…

No. 10 Saskatchewan (3-3): Top 10 ranking: Down three positions… Last week: 20-8 home loss to No. 2 Calgary (6-0)… This week: Visit Regina (2-4) Saturday at 7 p.m. CT… Heads-up: Saskatchewan has won two straight and six of seven overall against provincial rival Regina dating back to the start of the 2008 season, including a 33-10 victory in the first head-to-head matchup of 2011 on Sept. 9 in Saskatoon…

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#8)

Pts (1st place) Last week
1. Western (7-0) 273 (17) 1
2. Calgary (6-0) 269 (11) 2
3. Laval (6-1) 233 3
4. Sherbrooke (6-1) 202 4
5. McMaster (6-1) 163 6
6. Montreal (4-3) 162 (1) 5
7. Saint Mary’s (5-1) 103 8
8. UBC (4-2) 84 9
9. Ottawa (5-2) 45 10
10. Saskatchewan (3-3) 26 7

Other teams receiving votes: Queen’s (18), Acadia (14), Wilfrid Laurier (1).

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

October 21
19:00 AT StFX (1-5) at Mount Allison (0-6)

October 22
13:00 ET Waterloo (0-7) at Toronto (2-5), SSN (webcast)
13:00 ET Windsor (4-3) at York (1-6), SSN (webcast)
13:00 ET Laurier (3-4) at Guelph (2-5), SSN (webcast)
13:00 ET No. 9 Ottawa (5-2) at No. 5 McMaster (6-1), Cable 14 (TV) / marauders.ca (webcast)
13:00 ET No. 1 Western (7-0) at Queen’s (5-2), The Score (TV & webcast)
13:00 ET McGill (0-7) at Bishop’s (2-5), SSN (webcast)
13:00 ET No. 6 Montreal (4-3) at Concordia (3-4), Radio-Canada (TV & webcast) / SSN (webcast)
13:00 MT No. 8 UBC (4-2) at Alberta (0-6), CanadaWest.tv (webcast)
13:00 MT Manitoba (3-3) at No. 2 Calgary (6-0), CanadaWest.tv (webcast)
14:00 AT No. 7 Saint Mary’s (5-1) at Acadia (5-1), EastLink (TV & webcast)
19:00 CT No. 8 Saskatchewan (3-3) at Regina (2-4), Shaw (TV)

October 23
13:00 ET No. 4 Sherbrooke (6-1) at No. 3 Laval (6-1)

About Football Reporters of Canada – University Division
The Football Reporters of Canada – University Division represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958 the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) have been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league’s outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football.

The FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of the FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.