Power Poll (Week 8)

Not a lot of change in the Power Poll this week, as four of last week's top-five teams had the week off. The upcoming week should be fun, as the four top teams this week will all square off. Things could be very different in the top half of the Poll in one week's time.

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 1)

The Bombers used their week off to prepare for a date with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In Week 1, the Bombers went into Hamilton and beat the Cats in a game many described as an upset. This is why you should pay little attention to what people say at the start of the season. Would anyone classify a 24-16 win by the Bombers an upset now? Winnipeg can really put some distance between themselves and the rest of the East Division if they can knock off the Tabbies again.

2. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 2)

The Als look to have found their groove after an unfamiliar early-season rough patch. No one ever wrote off the Als (well, no one that has a clue), but questions did arise. But the Als now find themselves facing few questions. They are once again one of the favourites to win it all.

3. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 3)

The Stamps were a tough team to figure out for most of the early part of the season, but they looked magnificent in beating the Riders before their bye. Was that a product of the Stampeders turning the corner or the Riders being so terrible? I guess we're about to find out when Calgary travels to Montreal this week.

4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 5)

The Ti-Cats are entering a very important stretch of games, as they take on Winnipeg, Montreal, Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary over the next five weeks. Those five games will likely decide the Ti-Cats' season. First up, the Bombers. That should be one heckuva contest.

5. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 4)

Which is the real Edmonton team: the one that started 5-0 or the one that has lost three in a row? Or is it as simple as the Eskimos coming back to the median? But they have lost three consecutive games, so the bye couldn't be coming at a better time for the Esks.

6. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 7)

The Lions walloped the Eskimos in Week 8, and for that they move up one spot. A beating like that scores a lot of points over here, and even though both the Argos and Lions won, the Lions dominated, while the Argos just squeaked by. For that reason alone, the Lions inch past the Argos this week.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 6)

I know what you're thinking: the Argos lose and move up, but win and move down? The Argos didn't play anywhere near as well in their win against Saskatchewan as they did in their loss to Hamilton. We won't have to wait long to find out who is the better team between the Argos and Lions because they play each other in their next two games. For the time being, I like the Lions slightly more than the Argos.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

Head Coach, fired. Offensive Coordinator, fired. Saskatchewan is in complete disarray right now. I don't care what some people think, bringing back Ken Miller is not the solution. It's nothing more than a stopgap. With their next two games coming against the best team in the league, it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Highest Climb: Hamilton, BC (+1)
Steepest Fall: Edmonton, Toronto (-1)