TORONTO — Every year in May it’s the same drill. As training camp rolls around, CFL fans and analysts alike start making their predictions about everything that is about to go down, some more successfully than others.
Now with a third of the season gone in the blink of an eye, it’s time to start looking back to see who’s on the right track to see their predictions become a reality.
Henoc Muamba and Donnovan Bennett did just that in this week’s edition of The Waggle Podcast, revisiting most of the answers they picked for CFL Preseason Futures back in May.
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1. Which team will win the Eastern Final?
Henoc Muamba: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Donnovan Bennett: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Week 7 East Division first-place: Montreal Alouettes
The Ticats did not start the season they way some were anticipating them to, winning only one of their first six contests. The Alouettes meanwhile are looking unstoppable after winning six of their first seven, including a Week 8 win over an equally impressive Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“In fairness, I didn’t say which team will win the East. I said which team will win the Eastern Final,” said Bennett. “We saw with Montreal, get in and get hot.”
2. Which team will win the Western Final?
Muamba: BC Lions
Bennett: BC Lions
Week 7 West Division first-place: Saskatchewan Roughriders*
The Leos were somewhat of a preseason favourite and have played up to the expectations so far, relying on an explosive offence led by Vernon Adams Jr. to help them win five of their first seven games.
“The threat is not who we thought it may have been in Winnipeg. It is as of now Saskatchewan, but BC still looks like a good respectable pick,” said the Waggle duo.
*The Riders were in first place in the West Division entering Week 7 before losing to the Alouettes on Thursday and dropping to second place due to the tiebreaker with the Lions.
3. Who will lead the league in regular season interceptions? Demerio Houston, Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Jamal Peters, Brandin Dandridge or other?
Muamba: Peters
Bennett: Peters
Week 7 interception leader: Rolan Milligan Jr.
Peters arrived in Hamilton with a lot of expectations, but has lost time due to injury in the first third of the season. It is instead Saskatchewan’s Milligan Jr. sitting in first place after seven weeks with four picks.
“Rolan Milligan Jr. with four INTs, balling for the Saskatchewan Roughriders,” said Muamba about the Green and White ball-hawking defensive back.
4. Will a quarterback throw for 5,000 or more passing yards during the regular season?
Muamba: Yes
Bennett: Yes
Week 7 pace: Yes
Adams Jr. is on pace for over 6,000 yards, with Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell and Edmonton’s McLeod Bethel-Thompson also on pace to break 5,000 passing yards.
“I know them all. They would 100 per cent want to be in the big game rather than getting the 5,000,” Muamba said about the trio of pivots. “At the end of the day, they’re all trying to make things happen for their respective team.”
5. Who will lead the league in receiving touchdowns during the regular season? Tim White, Dalton Schoen, Alexander Hollins, Eugene Lewis or other?
Muamba: Tim White
Bennett: Other
Week 7 leader: Justin McInnis
McInnis has surprised everyone by starting the season on fire for the Lions. The National receiver has 780 yards and six majors in seven weeks as the leader in both categories.
6. Will Brady Oliveira rush for over or under 1,299.5 yards during the regular season?
Muamba: Under
Bennett: Under
Week 7 pace: 1,067 rushing yards
Oliveira has also lost some time to injury over the first third of the season, but is still on pace for over 1,000 rushing yards after rushing for 415 entering Week 8.
“Picked under because it was something that would have been difficult for him to do especially coming off the season that he had last year,” added Muamba. “But we didn’t anticipate the struggles, the challenges that this team was going to face. But you know what we still have to give it to him. This is a guy who runs really hard. He’s still out there making things happen when you do know that he’s going to get the ball handed to.”
7. Which team will finish the regular season with the best record?
Muamba: Saskatchewan
Bennett: BC
Week 7: Montreal
The Riders are tied with the Leos for the best record in the West Division while currently a game behind the Alouettes for the best record in the CFL.
“On point pick right now,” said Muamba about the Roughriders. “The reason being Corey Mace, defensive minded head coach and he’s got his team playing at an extremely high level.”
8. Will there be over or under 10.5 kick/punt return touchdowns scored in total during regular season?
Muamba: Over
Bennett: Under
Week 7 pace: Over
“There’s four so far, three by Janarion Grant,” said Bennett. “It looks like that’s going over.”
Make it five after Kalil Pimpleton added a 99-yard punt-return touchdown on Friday night for the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
9. Who will win the Grey Cup?
Muamba: BC
Bennett: BC
“Arguably the best team in the league thus far,” said Muamba about the Lions. “It is something to argue but that team is definitely the favourite in the West, threatened by Saskatchewan of course.”
“I think they’re the two classes of the league along with Montreal,” added Bennett about the trio of Leos, Riders and Alouettes. “Everyone is trying to play themselves into contention, but they’ve shown that they are on another level.”