It’s long been billed as a marquee matchup, and it has been circled on Canadian Football League calendars since the day the 2023 schedule was first released.

And the biggest selling point to Friday’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Toronto Argonauts heavyweight bout – which will unfold before a sold-out audience – is this: it is not only a Grey Cup rematch, but it also features two division front runners.

There’s now a bit of mystery, too, wrapped in a hint of disappointment with the Argos having secured first place in the East Division and perhaps likely to continue resting some starters before the playoffs and with the Andrew Harris storyline – hometown hero returns for the first time – losing some oomph with the veteran running back now on the six-game injured list.

Still, it’s late September with the days getting shorter and the temperatures slowly dipping and the Blue Bombers in full chase mode of first place in the West with the B.C. Lions so this one sells itself.

“Obviously, the last time we played them was in the Grey Cup so, yeah, I think we’re all excited to have that opportunity again to go against them and maybe put it out there who really is the best in the league,” said running back Brady Oliveira after the Blue Bombers returned to practice following a bye week on Monday. “We’re excited. We’re really locked in. We had a good day of practice today and everyone is focused and communicating. It’s good. It’s going to be a good week.

“Obviously we’re taking it one week at a time, but this is going to be a big stretch. Football weather is going to start coming around and this is going to be the time where it’s all going to count, it’s all going to matter, and we’ve all got to bring our ‘A’ game every single week and there can’t be any excuses and no regrets because we know where want to be at the end of the year. We want to take it one game at a time, but we know of the importance of all the games coming up.”

The West race for first

A look at the remaing games for the Blue Bombers and Lions:

Blue Bombers (10-4): vs. Toronto, September 29^th; @ B.C., October 6^th; Bye week; vs. Edmonton, October 21^st; @Calgary, October 27^th

Lions (10-4): vs. Saskatchewan, September 29^th; vs. Winnipeg, October 6^th; @ Hamilton, October 13^th; vs. Calgary, October 20^th; Bye week

The Blue Bombers have lost two of their last three games – with the Banjo Bowl blowout of the Saskatchewan Roughriders sandwiched by a loss in the Labour Day Classic and sloppy effort in falling to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before the bye.

The upside, potentially? Winnipeg is 12-1 coming off a bye week since 2017. What leads to that, you ask?

“I don’t know. I guess if I knew that I’d have some answers to some other questions you guys ask,” said head coach Mike O’Shea with a grin on Monday. “Rest, the way they handle the week in terms they’re not just sitting on the couch for the entire week, they’re putting some work in. Just refresh coming back to work, wanting to do well – a combination of those things.”

“Our coaches do a really good job to put us in positions to win games,” added quarterback Zach Collaros. “They get back a little bit earlier than we do and game plan and do all those little things. I think guys do a good job of being pros while they’re away in taking care of themselves, trying to forget about football for a little bit but still keeping it on your mind and still staying strong.”

More notes and quotes from the Blue Bombers return to work in this week’s NEED TO KNOW…

COMING SOON…:

Blue Bombers defensive end Thiadric Hansen was a full participant at practice on Monday and he’ll either be activated for Friday’s game or placed on the one-game injured list. The likable German could barely contain his glee upon returning to work.

“It’s just been a relief, really. It’s my first major injury in my career,” said Hansen. “It’s been a long year, but now I’m just happy to be back out there playing football. I feel like a kid again.”

It’s been a long road to recovery for Hansen, who suffered an Achilles injury in last year’s Labour Day Classic and has been diligently working to return, as we outlined in the spring.

“It was tough. But I also gained a lot out of it,” he said. “During the year that I was spending rehabbing, it taught me a lot about myself. I was surrounded by good guys here. I was very low at times, but they pulled me up and it’s just great to be back out here.

“… It was all fine until camp started and then camp started and you’re on the sideline. I went into a little hole which was ‘Man, I just want to be out here.’ They’d be out in meetings and grinding and I’d just be working out basically. I wanted to earn and prove myself again. When the games started it was also tough. At the beginning it was, ‘OK, good.’

And then I started thinking about when I was going to be back and I went on six-game (injured list) and then another six game and you thought maybe you’d be healthy earlier because you’re feeling all right, but you’re not really being honest with yourself. You’ve got to trust the physios that you’d just need a little more time. They got me ready, but that was the tough time – when you think you’re ready, but you’re not quite there yet… I feel great right now, so it was definitely worth it.”

BOUNCING BACK:

Sergio Castillo spent part of his bye week back in Amarillo with his wife and son and the veteran kicker admittedly enjoyed the break, especially after missing a convert and a field goal in the loss to Hamilton.

But experience has taught him not to wear the loss for too long.

“I’m already thinking about this one,” said Castillo of Friday’s game. “For me, I try to be where my feet are. After the game I had my family, and I hadn’t seen them for a while, so I was fully present for Jared and Adriana and now I’m here. I’m just glad to be back after a week off and being able to hang out and be with the guys – that’s my way of moving on.”

Castillo said he keeps a small list of affirmations tucked inside his pants on game day that he’s had since is college days. That list includes, among other things, reminders he is not kicking for himself, but for his family and his team, to go one for one on his next field goal attempt, to trust himself and think big and a reminder that whether he is ready or not, show up.

OF BYE WEEKS/GOSSIP/SHAKE IT OFF:

Collaros touched on a few topics in his media session Monday, from what he did during the bye week, to rumours of his good friend/former college teammate and roommate Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs reportedly dating Taylor Swift – who was at his game on Sunday – to watching the video of her ‘Shake it off’ hit over and over and over again.

First on the bye week coming after a loss:

“You try not to think about it for as much as possible, but it’s always in the back of your head. I didn’t bring my laptop when we went away for a couple of days, so there was no film and really no service where we were, so it was great just being able to spend time with my wife and my children. Getting away a little bit from the facility is always healthy.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about football since I was probably seven years old, so it is what it is. It specially makes it difficult when you’re coming off a loss and when you feel that you didn’t play your best and left some plays out there.”

On the Kelce/Swift gossip:

“It’s been a heckuva week for Trav and even Jason (Kelce) with the documentary coming out (‘Kelce’ on Prime Video).”

Asked if he was a ‘Swiftie’ – a Taylor Swift fan – he added:

“I don’t know if I’m a Swiftie. I think when I was in school, about 2009, she came out with a good album. Since then, I probably haven’t listened to much… I think she was still playing the guitar back then and that’s more my style. It’s been a heckuva week or two weeks. It’s been fun to follow along. I’ve had more questions from my wife about the Chiefs even during the two Super Bowls than I’ve ever had, so it’s been interesting.”

And on Swift’s popularity among the females in his family:

“I think I’ve watched the ‘Shake it off’ video over 10 million times with kids. My oldest can definitely sing the entire thing and I’m sure the youngest one at this point can, too. That’s pretty much the only one I know beside the first album. My wife has two sisters as well and a mom who is into it. Even my mom, who probably has no idea who Taylor Swift is, is getting questions asked of her at the local grocery store in Steubenville because the Kelces used to come home and visit from time to time. It’s been hilarious.”

MAGNIFICENT MAYA:

University of Manitoba Bisons kicker Maya Turner made history on the weekend, not only becoming the first woman to play and score in a regular-season U Sports football game but kicking the game winner in overtime in a 27-24 victory over the Regina Rams.

Castillo had been helping the Bisons kickers occasionally since their camp started and offered this:

“I was super pumped for her. Just to be there since training camp and see that she stuck it out and got her opportunity. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about – it’s about opportunity to see who steps up or not and she stepped up. I didn’t really have much to do with her because she already came with her good form. I’m just very fortunate to be able to know her and for her to be able to experience this… she’s breaking barriers, so it’s a pretty sweet deal.”

Added O’Shea, whose son Michael is a receiver/returner and the holder on placekicks for the Bisons: “It’s more than a neat story. I think it shows the evolution of sport and more so than that, how society has changed and changed its views as we’ve gotten better. Just from a football standpoint, I think it’s pretty cool. It is historical.”