Power Poll (Week 12)

I usually do a little preamble, but I always end up saying the same thing each week: I don't know what the hell is going on. I really, really don't. Each week brings new questions. So to hell with it. I'm just going into the rankings.

1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 2)

Winnipeg went into Montreal, after two losses in a row to Saskatchewan, and came out the victor. No one thought that would happen. No one. The Bombers passed their last test, so from here on out, Winnipeg gets the benefit of the doubt.

2. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 5)

Very few teams have come into Ivor Wynne Stadium recently and beaten the Tiger-Cats like Edmonton did last Friday. They dominated from start to finish. If the Eskimos play like that more often, they will be extremely tough to beat.

3. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 6)

This is the type of year it is when I put a 5-6 team at number three and it doesn't seem ridiculous. The Lions have won four straight and look very good right now. Very, very good.

4. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 1)

The losses at home are problematic, but Calgary is still a good team and still has a share of first in the West Division. They just need to be more consistent.

5. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 3)

I don't know what to make of the Alouettes. They have been wildly inconsistent from week to week. Win three, lose two, win two, lose two, win one, lose one. The Als are a different team every week, and when you play that differently from one week to the next, it's hard to peg where they belong in the league's hierarchy in 2011.

6. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 7)

Can Ken Miller do no wrong? I mean, seriously, does he really make that big of a difference? Saskatchewan is a vastly different team with Miller wearing the headset, so anything is possible for the Riders at this point.

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

Inconsistency is the theme of the week (year?), and no team defines inconsistency quite like the Tabbies. After dismantling the Als on Labour Day, the Ti-Cats have lost twice by a combined score of 81-36. They've scored one offensive touchdown and haven't been able to stop anything. The last time the Cats looked this bad was after Week 2. They responded to that by winning three straight. Remember what I said about inconsistency?

8. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 8)

The Argos gave the Riders a much tougher fight than most expected, and Steven Jyles looked better. But they still make critical mistakes, and until they decide what they want to do, they will be relegated to the bottom of the rankings.

Highest Climb: Edmonton, British Columbia (+3)
Steepest Fall: Calgary, Hamilton (-3)