CFL Super Power Rankings: Why finishing fourth in the West might be good; home-field advantage rankings

Welcome to the new 55-Yard Line CFL Super Power Rankings. Every Thursday we'll look back at the previous week and look ahead to the upcoming week, and rank the best teams, quarterbacks or anything else we see fit to rank.

In case you haven't heard, the CFL's West Division teams have performed significantly better than the East Division teams this season. It feels like we keep bringing it up, but it's a theme that isn't going away. A quick look at the standings is shocking in the disparity.

A few weeks ago we talked about an all-West Grey Cup game, and each week it seems like more of a possibility. In fact, there's reason to believe that a West team crossing over to play the East would even have a competitive advantage. Here's why.

We'll use the standings exactly as they sit now for this hypothetical scenario. The fourth-place team in the West is the B.C. Lions, so they would crossover into the East playoffs. Now, if you're the Lions which of these two scenarios would you prefer?

One: cross over and play a playoff game on the road against the Toronto Argonauts (in a dome), then play the East final on the road against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Two: sneak into third in the West and go on the road to play a playoff game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and then play the West final on the road against the Calgary Stampeders.

The choice seems pretty obvious. Of course, there is still a lot to be decided in the West and a team like the Lions could easily move up to second and host a playoff game. That's preferable. But if the choice is between finishing third or fourth, I'd take my chances in the crossover.

Team rankings:

1.

Calgary Stampeders (10-1; Previous: 1) - Six wins in a row, but now quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is out with an injury. No matter. Drew Tate filled in more than admirably and Jon Cornish is looking as good as ever.

2.

B.C. Lions (7-4; Previous: 3) - They jump to No. 2 over the Eskimos thanks to a win over a presumably stronger opponent. Here's a good read on the Lions' defence having a near-historic season.

3.

Edmonton Eskimos (8-3; Previous: 4) - Back in the win column after dropping two in a row to the Stampeders. QB Mike Reilly returned and rushed for two touchdowns.

4.

Saskacthewan Roughriders (8-3; Previous: 2) - Big trouble in Riderville. Without Darian Durant at quarterback the offence couldn't get going. Tino Sunseri completed just nine passes. A home game agaisnt Ottawa this week is just what the doctor ordered.

5.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-7; Previous: 8) - A big rise up the rankings after a very impressive win. They've yet to win back-to-back games this year though. A little momentum could help them run away with the simply awful East.

6.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-6; Previous: 5) - Make it three losses in a row now and quarterback Drew Willy is down and out with an injury. For all the talk about their resurgence, they're actually just feasting on East teams. They're just 1-5 against the West Division.

7.

Toronto Argonauts (3-8; Previous: 7) - The Argos' defence let them down again. After a dominant first half, they served up 30 points in the second half in the loss to the Stampeders. Ricky Ray is back to his old form though, throwing for 338 yards and four touchdowns.

8.

Montreal Alouettes (3-8; Previous: 6) - They hung around with the Eskimos for three quarters but couldn't contain Reilly. Looking okay then falling apart has been a theme this season.

9.

Ottawa Redblacks (1-9; Previous: 9) - They had the week off and stay put at No. 9. The biggest news from the bye week is that some fans leave the games drunk and rowdy. Imagine.

Quarterback rankings:

The quarterback rankings are taking a one-week hiatus. There's too much chaos in the CFL's quarterback ranks right now due to injuries. There's a number of young or inexperienced QBs under centre right now and we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt and give them another week before passing judgement.

In place of the quarterback rankings we offer you:

Home-field advantage rankings:

(Taking into consideration attendance, reputation, and home records here are the teams that have it best at home.)

1.

Roughriders, Mosaic Stadium - They have a well-deserved reputation as the league's most loyal and raucous fans. The Riders play to a near-capacity crowd every week and are 4-1 at home. And there's a fancy new stadium on the way.

2. Stampeders, McMahon Stadium - Another tough place to play, due to fans, weather, and good team. They're 5-1 at home.

3. Eskimos, Commonwealth Stadium - They play in the CFL's largest stadium, have the highest average attendance, and are 4-2 to show for it. Attendance is on the rise again after a couple last-place seasons. They would be tough to beat at home in a playoff game.

4. Redblacks, TD Place - They're only 1-4 at home this year, but the excitement for the return of the CFL is legitimate. Crowds have been great and if they ever put together some wins it could be a tough place for road teams.

5. Blue Bombers, Investors Group Field - Another group of loyal fans who could benefit from a winning product. In the second year at the new stadium the home fans have only seen four wins.

6. Lions, B.C. Place - It can be loud when it's full for big games, but it's still a dome. Lions are 3-3 at home and 4-1 on the road.

7. Alouettes, Molson Stadium - Once the benchmark for stadium experiences, the Alouettes and their fans have fallen on hard time, mostly due to the on-field product. Attendance is down significantly from 2013 for a team playing .500 ball (3-3) at home.

8. Tiger-Cats, Ron Joyce Stadium/Tim Hortons Field - There's no doubt Tim Hortons Field will be a fine facility when it's actually 100 percent completed. But spending 2013 in Guelph and the start of 2014 at Ron Joyce Stadium at McMaster hasn't made for a great experience for fans or players. That said, the Ticats are 3-2 at "home".

9. Argonauts, Rogers Centre - They play in a cavernous dome, with landlords who don't want them there, and they have nowhere else to go. Average attendance this year is down to 17,562. The team (3-3 in Toronto) and the loyal fans deserve better but there are no easy solutions.

Coming up in Week 13:

Toronto at B.C., Friday, 10 ET -- Two teams headed in opposite directions, but the Argos will have Chad Owens back in the lineup. The Lions have the top ranked defence in the league, surrendering a league-low 196 points in 11 games. The Argos nearly knocked off the Stampeders last week, I have a hunch they pull it off this week. Pick: Argonauts.

Edmonton at Hamilton, Saturday, 7 ET -- Hamilton, without back-to-back wins all season, tries to get it done at home after beating the Riders last week. The Eskimos are 4-1 on the road. Last time these teams met Zach Collaros was knocked out of the game, and onto the injured list, on a hit by Odell Willis. Pick: Eskimos.

Calgary at Montreal, Sunday, 1 ET -- Drew Tate makes his first start of the season after the Stamps lost Bo Levi Mitchell to injury last week. Tate has starting experience, and the safety blanket of running back Jon Cornish. They won't take any steps back. Pick: Stampeders.

Ottawa at Saskatchewan, Sunday, 4 ET - The Redblacks are coming off a bye and practiced this week with simulated crowd noise to prepare for the Mosaic Stadium crowd. Tino Sunseri makes his second start at QB for the Riders, and maybe the friendly confines will help him. Ottawa is winless on the road; the Riders are 4-1 at home. Pick: Roughriders.

Picks -- Last week 3-1; Season: 28-16

Bye: Winnipeg - The Bombers are already planning to be without Willy at quarterback for their game against Hamilton in two weeks.

Disagree with our rankings and picks? Join the conversation on Twitter with @IanDenomme and @YahooSportsCFL.