Was Laval overrated, or SMU underrated?

Question

Even though I'm a Huskies fan I sure didn't expect them to crush Laval the way they did.

Answer 1

I would have to say Laval read a bit too much of their own press.  They were the clear cut favourites to repeat as national champions and I don't believe they were prepared for the challenge a home game at Huskie stadium presents.  Beating the Huskies earlier in the season when the Rouge et Or were missing some key players, likely added to their over-confidence.  I dare say the way the Huskies squeaked past an underwhelming St. FX team in the AUS finals would do nothing to strike fear in the Laval team.

Bottom line, when the Huskies got a couple of breaks early and were so strong on defence, aided by some costly drops by Laval receivers, the Rouge et Or could not recover.  Trailing at the half of a football game has been a rarity for Laval and obviously they did not respond positively to it today.  As the day wore on, SMU got stronger and more confident and Laval almost seemed resigned to defeat.  Here's hoping the Huskies don't relax going into the Vanier Cup though because the Manitoba Bisons have shown the ability to crush opponents as well.

Answer 2

Neither. Both teams are great. For many years Smu dominated in the east, scoring as much as 70 points in some games.  However it was hard to guage their National ranking because of a weak east conference. Now Smu is winning games because of a balanced attack and strong defence. Laval does have a great offence...and is probably stronger on paper. My opinion on the game that just finished is that Saint Marys outcoached Laval. Laval was overconfident and did not make the necessary changes at halftime. That's this mans opinion!