A little more than one year ago the CFL standings were like night and day, going by both decisions. The east was tight as Montreal led the division but not by much.
Toronto, Hamilton and Winnipeg were not all that far behind.
In the west division, the fight for first place was always between Calgary and Saskatchewan. Edmonton and British Columbia were close to each other, but far off from first or second place.
B.C. ended up making the playoffs and went on to beat Hamilton in the crossover match at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
This year, the CFL's top clubs are all within two points of each other. Two teams are tied in first, while the other two teams are tied in second place.
With a couple major disappointments (or surprises, depending on who's side you are on), this year's playoff race will be even better than last year's.
In terms of finishes, nobody should be surprised that either Calgary or Saskatchewan will receive the first-round bye. Over in the east, however, there's something brewing in Ontario that not many people likely saw coming.
Montreal (who is tied for first overall with Calgary with 22 points) has clinched the division title.
The team trailing them in second place is a little bit of a surprise.
After putting together what will probably be the highlight of each of the past five seasons, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats dismantled Montreal and went on to clinch a playoff spot in the process.
Last season, their fate came down to the very last game of the season (they beat up Winnipeg pretty badly).
Over the weekend, there was another team that won their game that probably shouldn't have. Saskatchewan should have been able to climb to within a game of the Stampeders, instead, they took a loss against the 6-10 Edmonton Eskimos.
In the major battle in the east, Hamilton beat Montreal by more than any other team has beaten them this year.
Hamilton held Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo to zero touchdown passes.When is the last time that happened.
Former student at the Yorkton Regional High School, Jordan Matechuk didn't seem the least bit surprised at what his team was able to accomplish.
A sports writer in Toronto said that a path to the Grey Cup game in Edmonton, for Hamilton, is going to mean a date with Montreal at some point.
Matechuk didn't seem surprised at how easily they took care of things against the Allouettes.
Earlier in the season, Hamilton couldn't beat Montreal's third-string quarterback. This time, they destroyed their starter.
Next up, Friday night in Calgary. If there's anything you'd like to see covered by Game 7, please forward your suggestions to the Yorkton This Week sportsdesk by phone (306) 782-2465, fax (306) 786-1898 or email.
