Smitty's Selections: Week 2

Going 2-2 in the opening week isn't terrible. The early weeks are the hardest to predict because no one knows how good or bad any team is. It's why I hate the term "upset" in regards to victories that occur in the first four weeks. Take last year, for instance. When the Cats beat the Lions in BC it was a "monumental upset" because everyone thought the Cats would stink. Lo and behold, they finished with a better regular-season record than BC. Anyway, take my Week 2 picks with a grain of salt as well. Here's hoping I have at least another 2-2 week in me.

Toronto (0-1) at Winnipeg (1-0)

Winnipeg took the boots to the Cats last week and looked very impressive in doing so. Bomber QB Buck Pierce looked great, finding open Receivers and running when need be (and, of course, sliding so he didn't get his head taken off). Toronto looked like the work in progress that they are. No one expects big things out of the Argos in 2010, not even their own fans. In Winnipeg, with the Bombers supremely high off last week's drubbing, I think this one is a no-brainer.

Winner: Winnipeg, 34-17

Calgary (1-0) at Hamilton (0-1)

It's s**t-or-get-off-the-pot time for the Tiger-Cats. There was a lot of talk going into the season (by the fans and the team) that this was a Grey Cup-caliber club. They sure didn't look like it against Winnipeg. Calgary looked every bit as confounding as I believed they would in their win against the Argonauts. They needed every ounce they had to eek out a win. The score does not do the game justice. If not for a late-game fumble-recovery TD, the game would have been a lot closer. The Stamps outplayed the Argos, but couldn't score, settling for five Rob Maver field goals. With this being the Ti-Cats' 2010 home opener, I expect them to come out ready to play. Cats take this one.

Winner: Hamilton, 30-20

Saskatchewan (1-0) at British Columbia (0-1)

What else can be said about the Canada Day Classic? Saskatchewan's Offense looked dynamite against the Alouettes. The Defense...not so great. That could pose a problem for the Green Riders, traveling to BC to open the new Empire Stadium. BC looked very good in their game against the Eskimos. Jamal Robertson showed that he was just as good as advertised as he ran over, under and around many Eskimos. I expect this to be the best game of the week, and I see a BC win by the slimmest of margins.

Winner: BC, 37-34

Montreal (0-1) at Edmonton (0-1)

Montreal enters this week's contest against Edmonton in a somewhat unfamiliar position: winless. Since returning to the CFL in 1996, the Als have only lost twice on the opening weekend (1996 to Toronto, 2007 to Saskatchewan). The Eskimos enter the second week of the season with lots of questions. Their Offense could not put up points against BC, and the Defense allowed Jamal Robertson to do whatever he wanted in the running game. An angry Montreal will notch their first win of the season, while giving Edmonton their second home loss to open up 2010.

Winner: Montreal, 41-21

Recap
Winnipeg, Hamilton, BC, Montreal

Season Record: 2-2