One of my favourite realities of the Grey Cup is the unpredictable nature of it all.
Football is the one sport where the playoffs are a single-game elimination tournament, and upsets happen all the time.
I wanted to highlight this well-known point to justify what you are about to read. I have put together five way-too-early 113th Grey Cup predictions that range from “I can totally see this happening” all the way to “a lot of things have to go right for you to be right on this one.”
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The Alouettes are the current favourites to win the 113th #GreyCup… 👀
Who do you have going all the way in 2026?@fanduelcanada | #CFL pic.twitter.com/3x7ju6hSd4
— CFL (@CFL) January 23, 2026
THE RE-MATCH WITH A TWIST
Montreal Alouettes over Saskatchewan Roughriders
Was there a better team in the CFL in 2025 than an Alouettes team led by a healthy Davis Alexander? When the 27-year-old started, Montreal outscored their opponents by over 12 points per game and averaged more than 400 yards per game. They may not have one of the CFL’s elite running backs, but they more than make up for it with a stable of elite receivers (Tyson Philpot, Tyler Snead) and one of the league’s best offensive lines.
The defence has more than enough talent to withstand the loss of Darnell Sankey. As for the Roughriders, they have managed to retain just about all their star free agents. The return of players like Tevaughn Campbell and Samuel Emilus ensures the level of roster stability needed for a deep playoff run. Corey Mace’s team is an AJ Ouellette extension away from bringing the band back together.
However, this time around, Alexander would conclude the 2026 season as the Grey Cup MVP in this scenario.
THE CAPTAIN OBVIOUS
BC Lions over Hamilton Tiger-Cats
It is a common sports media trick to take the losers in the Eastern and Western Finals and match them up the following year. Cliché as it is, I’m betting many fans are making the same prediction.
The last two players standing in the MOP race were Bo Levi Mitchell, who had arguably his best statistical season, and Nathan Rourke, who remains the king of the quarterback castle. Both teams lost by just a field goal in their playoff defeats.
In this alternate reality for 2026, Montreal runs out of steam after reaching two of the last three Grey Cups. As for Saskatchewan, defending the crown is a daunting task. Only twice in nearly 30 years has a team won back-to-back Grey Cups. This matchup would be a promoter’s dream. Apologies to Tiger-Cats fans, but the Grey Cup drought continues in this thought exercise.
THE “HEAR ME OUT”
Ottawa REDBLACKS over Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Bombers make it back to the Grey Cup in this scenario. After a one-year hiatus, Mike O’Shea and company would find themselves back in familiar territory, playing in the final game of the year. Winnipeg has no interest in rebuilding, as evidenced by the extensions of Brady Oliveira and Nic Demski, while 34-year-old Willie Jefferson returns for another year of spiking opposing passes into the ground.
However, the final result would be another Cup defeat as the favourite.
So how would Ottawa get there? Glad you asked. There is a trio of reasons.
First, the REDBLACKS might benefit from the new-coach bounce with two-time Cup winner Ryan Dinwiddie. Next, a good old-fashioned statistical regression potentially occurs. Turnover margins live in the world of variance and can bounce around year to year like a loose fumble. In this scenario, Ottawa goes from dead last in turnover ratio (-16) to league average, which translates to several more regular season wins.
Finally, in this reality, Ottawa enjoys good health at the quarterback position. Dru Brown made only nine starts in 2025 while dealing with a host of injuries. In 2026, Brown could complete his first wire-to-wire healthy season and lives up to the hype that followed his arrival in Ottawa.
THE LONG SHOT THAT REALLY ISN’T THAT MUCH OF A REACH
Toronto Argonauts over Calgary Stampeders
The one thing we know about the Toronto Argonauts is that they have a flair for the dramatic. In 2012, the Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 35–22 after finishing 6–12 the year before. Five years later, a similar comeback story unfolded as Toronto went from a CFL-worst 5–13 to besting Calgary again, 27–24, in the 105th Grey Cup.
The quest for Pinball’s team to climb back to the top of the mountain began with the acquisition of Adarius Pickett, a necessary first step in rebuilding the league’s worst defence. On the other side of the ball, new coach Mike Miller has proclaimed that Chad Kelly is healthy and will enter camp as the starter.
As for the Stampeders, there is proof of concept that an elite team exists within the bones of this roster. They started 2025 as the league’s best team, beating Hamilton by 12, twice taking down the Bombers by three touchdowns, and winning 24–10 over Trevor Harris and the eventual champion Roughriders. Look for Clarence Hicks to overtake Mathieu Betts as the game’s best defensive player.
This universe would feature the Double Blue beating the Red and White in Calgary.
CANADIAN-ON-CANADIAN
Edmonton Elks over BC Lions
Okay, this last one is part fan fiction and part wishing something into existence. The Lions potentially build on an excellent 2025 and win the division, fighting off several West Division juggernauts. Meanwhile, a plucky Elks squad under second-year coach Mark Kilam finds ways to win close games, led by veteran Cody Fajardo, who was rewarded for his solid 2025 with an extension in early December.
In this scenario, Tre Ford replaces Cody Fajardo in the lineup to create a “Canadian Connection” between Ford and Kaion Julien-Grant that powers the team into the playoffs as a crossover.
This reality would feature a crossover team reaching the Grey Cup for the first time in CFL history, setting up a Canadian-on-Canadian quarterback battle.
