OUA announces 2016 football playoff scenarios heading into final weekend

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) has determined the possible following playoff scenarios depending on game outcomes this Saturday, Oct. 22.

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, nine teams remain in contention with five teams having already secured a postseason berth and a chance to play for the 109^th Yates Cup.

The final weekend will see the No. 3 Western Mustangs (6-1) host the No. 5 McMaster Marauders (6-1), the No. 6 Carleton Ravens (5-2) travel to Waterloo to take on the Warriors (0-7), the No. 7 Laurier Golden Hawks (6-1) on the road to take on the Windsor Lancers (2-5), the No. 9 uOttawa Gee-Gees (5-2) taking on the Queen's Gaels (3-4) in Kingston and the York Lions (2-5) visiting the defending Yates Cup champion Guelph Gryphons (2-5).  The University of Toronto Varsity Blues (2-6) have the bye week.

Western, Laurier, McMaster, Carleton, and Ottawa have all clinched a postseason berth heading into the final weekend.

Barring a Warriors upset on Saturday, some of the potential outcomes of this weekend's games are as follows:

• The winner of the Western-McMaster matchup will finish the regular season with a 7-1 record and the first playoff seed.
• A loss to the Marauders on Saturday and the Mustangs could finish as low as fourth.
• If McMaster loses on the road to Western, the Marauders can finish no worse than third and would host an OUA quarter-final game for the second straight season.
• Even with a victory against Windsor, the Golden Hawks can still finish no higher than second place.  However, a loss to the Lancers could see Laurier fall as low as the fourth seed.
• Queen's control their own destiny.  A win against the Gee-Gees and the Gaels are guaranteed a playoff berth.
• A Ravens win on Saturday would guarantee Carleton their first home playoff game at MNP Park since their rebirth.  While a quarterfinal game is most likely, the possibility does exist that the Ravens could finish second and host a semifinal.
• Entering the final weekend, York finds themselves in the thick of the race as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.  While a win against the Gryphons does not guarantee a spot, a Lions win combined with a Golden Hawks and Gee-Gees victory would send the Lions into the playoffs.
• Windsor will need some help if they are to qualify for the postseason, however, it must begin at home with a victory over the visiting Golden Hawks.  A Windsor win, combined with victories by York, uOttawa and Carleton would see the Lancers enter the playoffs as the sixth seed.
• The University of Toronto Varsity Blues and Waterloo Warriors have been eliminated from postseason contention.

The OUA Tie Break Procedures have been utilized to arrive at the previously mentioned results.

Fans can catch all the action this weekend streaming live on OUA.tv Saturday as the regular season concludes.

The playoffs will begin with the quarter-finals on Saturday, Oct. 29, followed by semifinal action on Saturday, Nov. 5.  The Quest for the 109^th Yates Cup will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m.