The 110th Grey Cup preview

The GIST: It all comes down to this. The 110th Grey Cup (kicking off this Sunday at 6 p.m. ET) will feature the East Division champion Montreal Alouettes vs. the West Division–winning Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a CFL first — these two squads have never squared off in the championship game. Anything can happen.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: The Blue Bombers are making a franchise-record fourth straight Grey Cup appearance and looking to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Argonauts. Star quarterback (QB) Zach Collaros will become the first CFL QB to start four straight Grey Cups, but the squad is dealing with significant injuries.

• Wide receivers Dalton Schoen, Nic Demski, and Rasheed Bailey are nursing various ankle and knee ailments but, despite not fully participating in practice earlier this week, the Bombers are confident they’ll suit up with the title on the line.

Montreal Alouettes: Defense has been the name of the game for the Als, who forced the heavily favored aforementioned Argonauts into nine turnovers during last week’s East Final. Now they’re through to their first Grey Cup appearance since 2010, aka when TiK ToK was just a song.

• QB Cody Fajardo will make his Grey Cup debut, but he does have some big game experience on his side, having won as the backup QB with Toronto in 2017.

Prediction: The Alouettes have been hot, hot, hot with seven straight wins but the Blue Bombers, albeit injured, still have the upper hand, so we have to slightly lean their way. But no matter the outcome, there’ll surely be a boulevard of broken dreams on the journey.