Back by popular demand - with the road to the 57th Vanier Cup beginning this Saturday, fans are bound to be in store for a season that only trumps the drama, excitement and theatre that was on display in 2021.
New stars, new coaches and new contenders means new storylines, here are the 27 questions facing each U SPORTS football program ahead of the 2022 U SPORTS season
OUA
1. Carleton Ravens
Let’s run this question back one more time - Entering his final year of eligibility, and coming off an appearance at the East-West Bowl, is Tanner DeJong ready to step into the elite tier of U SPORTS quarterbacks?
Bonus: After moving on from the Steve Sumarah era, that dated back to the programs relaunch in 2013, what does the next chapter of Carleton Ravens football look like under new head coach Corey Grant?
2. Guelph Gryphons
Will Clark Barnes be an All-Canadian receiver and kick returner in the same season?
3. Laurier Golden Hawks
Now set to become the full-time starter, what can we expect from second-year quarterback Taylor Elgersma? (2021 Stats: 5 Games Played, Completed 55% of passes, 672 Passing Yards, 3 TDs, 5 INTs)
4. McMaster Marauders
The biggest victim of the conference’s controversial divisional alignment in 2021, what exactly is McMaster’s ceiling in a division-less OUA?
5. Ottawa Gee-Gees
The grey uniforms may look cool, but what exactly is this program’s on-field identity?
6. Queen’s Gaels
The critics are watching - After being one of the most controversial undefeated teams of all-time and now in a conference without divisions, can the Queen’s Gaels prove that they truly are one of the top tier teams in the OUA?
Bonus: After leading the OUA in interceptions, while being named a conference all-star as a rookie, will Queen’s defensive back Ashton Miller-Melancon have an All-Canadian campaign in 2022?
7. U of T Varsity Blues
Seriously though, why doesn’t U of T have white game pants?
8. Waterloo Warriors
With the greatest player(s) in this program’s history having departed, what exactly does the next era of Warrior football look like?
Bonus: Who takes over as the new starting quarterback for Waterloo?
9. Western Mustangs
Will Western repeat as National Champions?
Bonus: Does Keon Edwards win OUA MVP? If so, how about the Hec Crighton?
10. Windsor Lancers
Building off of their high points from last season, can Windsor finally break through to the playoffs for the first time since 2014?
11. York Lions
Can York win a game this year?
Bonus: Given the fact that the drama surrounding this program has made its way into the public eye over the course of the last several months, fans, parents, past players, future players, and supporters of this team deserve to know: What exactly is going on behind the scenes within the York Lions football program?
Canada West
12. Alberta Golden Bears
After losing both Jayden Dalke and 2021 Presidents’ Trophy winner Josiah Schakel, who will step up and be the the new leader(s) of Alberta’s defence?
Bonus: Is Rodeem Brown the best offensive lineman in the nation?
13. Calgary Dinos
Rebuild in Calgary - With the departure of both Tyson and Jalen Philpot, along with Josiah Joseph, who do the Dinos look to for offensive production in 2022?
Bonus: Can the Dinos return to the playoffs?
14. Manitoba Bisons
Bringing back the majority of their roster from 2021 as well as veteran signal-caller Des Catellier, are the Bisons primed to be the team to beat in the Canada West conference?
Bonus: Does Des Catellier win Canada West MVP?
15. Regina Rams
Losing three games by a margin of four points or less and even blowing a fourth quarter lead to the eventual Hardy Cup Champion Saskatchewan Huskies, the 2021 Regina Rams may have been the most competitive 1-5 team you’ll ever see. Learning from their experiences last season, can the Rams become better game-closers in 2022?
16. Saskatchewan Huskies
Having lost a significant amount of seniors who were apart of the program’s 2021 Vanier Cup run, can Scott Flory and the Huskies find a way to turn to new faces, while maintaining significant success on the field?
17. UBC Thunderbirds
After an amazing rookie campaign, what does the year-two jump look like for UBC quarterback Garrett Rooker, under new offensive coordinator - and former Western quarterback - Stevenson Bone?
Bonus: Are the Thunderbirds a dark horse favourite to break through to the Hardy Cup?
RSEQ
18. Concordia Stingers
If Concordia can manage to recreate their top-ranked passing attack behind Olivier Roy and Jaylan Greaves, will their defence - which was ranked 23rd in the nation in 2021 - finally be able to step up to solidify the Stingers as a viable contender in the RSEQ?
Bonus: Does Olivier Roy receive his second consecutive RSEQ MVP nod?
19. Laval Rouge et Or
It’s widely believed that the battle for the RSEQ often comes down to either Laval or Montréal. Well, after coming off a year where their rivalry with Montréal was one-sided - the Carabins won all three meetings - can Laval rekindle their competitive nature with their conference rivals?
20. McGill Redbirds
Coming off a 1-7 season in 2021, in what ways will McGill shine in 2022?
21. Montréal Carabins
After losing last year’s Uteck Bowl in a rather heartbreaking fashion, are the Carabins primed for a trip to the Vanier Cup in 2022?
Bonus: Are Jonathan Sénécal and Hassane Dosso the best QB-REC duo in the nation?
22. Sherbrooke Vert et Or
Building a reputation as a program that sits in the middle of the RSEQ pack, what highlights can Sherbrooke produce in 2022?
AUS
23. Acadia Axemen
After scoring the second-lowest amount of points in the nation (52) during the 2021 season, has Acadian found a way to retool their offence?
24. Bishop’s Gaiters
After coming up short in the Loney Bowl in both 2019 and 2021, will the Bishop’s Gaiters finally claim their first conference championship since 1994?
25. Mount Allison Mounties
Will MTA once again field one of the top secondaries in the nation?
26. SMU Huskies
After going 1-5 in 2021, and given the competitive nature of this conference entering 2022, is SMU bound to have another fall-back season?
27. StFX X-Men
Coming off statistically the greatest season of any rookie quarterback since Laval-legend, Hugo Richard, can Silas Fagnan lead the X-Men to another conference championship in 2022?
Bonus: Does Silas Fagnan receive his second consecutive AUS MVP nod?
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