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It was already going to be a big game when the Calgary Stampeders host the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday evening.

But when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers fell to the Toronto Argonauts in shocking fashion on Thursday, it got a lot bigger.

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Suddenly, the winner between the Stampeders (4-2) and Eskimos (4-2) will go to bed on Saturday night with a share of first place in the West Division.

That would be nice, right? Especially for a team like the Stampeders who were spoken about in the media as if this was going to be a rebuilding year.

Well, the Stampeders are downplaying that idea.

“Right now, being in first place doesn’t really mean much,” said Stampeders offensive lineman Derek Dennis. “You’ve seen teams go 7-0, 8-0, 9-0, 10-0 and crumble at the end of the year, like Edmonton did last year. You can start hot, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

On some level, Saturday night’s Battle of Alberta feels like it could be an inflection point for both teams.