Preview: Blue Bombers at Tiger-Cats

5-11

5-11

Overlooked amidst all the hoopla revolving around the closing of Ivor Wynne Stadium is that the final game is still a game, and a darn important one too: the loser of this contest is officially eliminated from playoff contention, while the winner will still have a faint hope heading into the final week of the season. The winner could still be eliminated later in the weekend, but whoever comes out on top in this game will still be alive for at least a couple of days afterwards.

Hamilton comes into the game after last week's heartbreaking loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Moral victories mean nothing at this time of year, but the Ti-Cats showed they still have some fight in them. Winnipeg heads to Hamilton coming off a convincing 44-32 win in Toronto. Left for dead just a month ago, the Bombers are playing their best football right now. But it might be too little, too late for both squads.

Hamilton will also need to reverse close to two years of losing to the Blue Bombers if they hope to keep their slim playoff chances alive. Hamilton has lost six straight to Winnipeg, including last year's East Division Final, with two of those losses coming at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

If the Ti-Cats play with the heart they displayed a week ago in Calgary, they should be able to get the win. Winnipeg is playing some great football right now, so they cannot be overlooked. They just play better with Buck Pierce at quarterback and Pierce has made a living torturing the Ti-Cats since he signed with the Bombers in 2010.

I expect this game to be a good one, with two teams clinging to faint playoff hopes fighting it out to stay alive. Hamilton might have the emotional edge and the fans are going to be ramped up for their final visit to Ivor Wynne Stadium, so this game is shaping up to be a fantastic one. Kick off is at 1:00PM.