Ottawa, ON - Technically, the OUA playoffs are still a week away. But don't tell that to the Gryphons. On Saturday (Oct. 24) the Gryphons will take on the No. 10-ranked Carleton Ravens (5-2) in a game that carries with it huge playoff implications. Heading into this final week of the OUA regular season, there is a seemingly endless list of tiebreaking scenarios as not a single team entering the weekend has yet to lock down a playoff seed at this point (no...not even the 7-0 Western Mustangs who could finish 2nd with a loss to McMaster coupled with a Guelph loss). For the Gryphons, here's what you need to know: when the dust settles Saturday around 4pm, they can find themselves finishing anywhere from 2nd to 5th. Picking up a win and finishing 7-1 on the season will go a long way to ensuring the tiebreaker madness ends on a good note. That seventh win of the season will have to come on the road against the No. 10 team in the country.

This week, the Gryphons travel to Ottawa to face a tough Carleton Ravens team who boast one of the top receivers in the country. 2014 First Team All-Canadian Nate Behar is in now in his third year and headlines a dangerous Carleton receiving core. The man charged with the task of getting the ball to Behar and company is Ravens fourth year QB Jesse Mills (Halifax, NS). Mills, a transfer from St. Mary's University, shared quarterbacking duties last season but is now the Ravens clear number one choice under centre. Mills possesses a big arm and is flanked in the backfield by a shifty running back in Jahvari Bennett. This season, Bennett is one of only 9 running backs in the country to be averaging 100 yards rushing per game (123.7). While the Carleton Ravens certainly have plenty of talented offensive weapons, the Gryphons also have the comfort in knowing they were able to contain these same players in their meeting a year ago. Last October, in a 44-24 victory at Alumni Stadium, the Gryphon defence limited Bennett to a modest 4.8 yards per carry, held Behar under 100 yards receiving and intercepted Mills to lead to the opening score of the game. The U of G defence will have to come up with strong performance on Saturday if the Gryphons are to secure their third consecutive 7-1 season.

Offensively, the Gryphons will be facing a Carleton 'D' that boasts playmakers at all three levels. On the defensive line, No. 97 Stefan Carty will be the biggest challenge for the Gryphon O-Line. Carleton linebacker Leon Cenerini is tackling machine, while No. 2 Tunde Adeleke is not only a dangerous returner, but also the most gifted player in the Ravens secondary. Each of those players will be getting their first look at James Roberts who enters the final week of the regular season having eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark in four of his seven outings in 2015. The favourite target for Roberts this season has been Jacob Scarfone, who ranks 4th in the CIS (and 2nd in OUA) with 116.4 receiving yards per game. Scarfone is also currently T-2nd in the CIS with 8 receiving TD & ranks 2nd in the CIS with 52 receptions on the season. Scarfone is 8 catches shy of tying the school record for receptions in a single season (60 - held by Frank Marouf in '91). Johnny Augustine will look to cap an impressive 2015 regular season which has seen him rack up 107.1 rushing yards per game and 11 rushing touchdowns on the year (2nd in the CIS).

All-Canadian returner Ryan Nieuwesteeg is coming off a monster performance versus Windsor (12 punt returns for 242 yards and a touchdown) that earned him CIS Special Teams Player of the Week honours. Nieuwesteeg enters the regular season finale needing just 19 more punt return yards to break his own single-season school record
of 739 which he set in 2014. Another monster performance like last week would also see the Niagara Falls native write his name in the CIS record books as he would need 192 punt return yards on Saturday to break the all-time CIS record for PR yds in a single-season - held by Laurier's Dillon Heap with 912 in 2009.

Saturday's game at Carleton is scheduled to kickoff at 1pm and can be seen live online at OUA.tv.