U Sports Football Report (Week 1)
The U Sports season is underway as all conferences got active this week with the CanWest joining the other three to play their first games.
The season ahead seems like it is already decided in many ways as there are three teams that are already favourites to make it to the national playoffs.
It has been that way for a while and largely because the three programs considered the current big three are built through strong recruiting classes year after year.
Of course, at the start of every season, there is a chance that these teams can struggle to get going.
The first week of any season is a tough one as teams have to figure out what they actually have when it comes down to the game on the field.
Practice and preseason can tell teams plenty but it won’t ever tell the full story as the regular season is the pace where it really matters.
Unlike the NCAA teams don’t have full control over their own schedules because they have to play in their conference.
That means that the first games can pit two good teams against each other right off the bat.
It can be dangerous because teams can start cold at the beginning of the season and given the right circumstances they can drop a big game to open the season.
It is a bit more of a challenge as there is little room for error with first games but in U Sports the Big Three have plenty of experience in that situation.
All three have been in action over the last two weeks and all have made sure that they began their season in style.
In Quebec, the Rouge et Or got a fairly easier start to the season as they took on Sherbrooke who had been struggling over the last few years.
That proved to continue to be the case as the Rouge et Or took a convincing 41-10 win over the Vert et Or.
In the second week of RSEQ action, they had a bye leaving them sitting back to see their biggest rivals, Montreal, take their first two wins.
In Ontario, the Western Mustangs have been going through their usual routine taking two wins in the OUA.
Against Laurier, they took a 32-19 win and this past week beat the Gaels 40-23 showing that they are still the team to beat.
They could get a challenge from the Marauders who are currently sitting in first with a better point differential but the Mustangs seem like the team everyone expected them to be.
With the West just beginning the season it was the first chance this week for the Calgary Dinos to show what they had to offer this year.
That was what they did although it wasn’t as dominant as many thought that it could have been with the Dinos taking the 31-21 win over the Golden Bears.
With all three teams now in action, they will look to build their resumes and avoid those traps that come with university football.
If they can they all have a very good chance of taking their conference titles and enter the national playoffs for another year.
That is the goal for every team and at this point in the season, there is a chance for any team to do that.
Although the big three teams have a good shot of taking their seasons all the way to the national spotlight there are always surprises.
That could happen again as two challengers have already emerged in Quebec and Ontario as there could be some interesting battles.
Montreal is already showing that they are ready to fight Laval for yet another year to earn the Dunsmore Cup.
Meanwhile, in Ontario, the Marauders have two convincing wins and are sitting on top of the league.
They will look to be the team to unseat the Mustangs but that is a tall order as many teams have tried.
In the West, the Golden Bears had their shot but Manitoba and Regina put together great performances and could be challengers.
All of that will be worked out as the season is only beginning and with so much time left there is a lot to figure out.
The Sport Addiction 