B.C. Lions rookie defensive end Cameron Wake, left, led the CFL in quarterback sacks (16) and is the first player in league history to earn nominations for most outstanding player and top defensive player in the same season. (Jason Scott/Canadian Press)

On Nov. 11, the rest of Canada realized what Saskatchewan Roughriders fans have known for several weeks: quarterback Kerry Joseph is a deserving candidate for the Canadian Football League's most outstanding player award.

Joseph shredded the Calgary Stampeders defence for 395 yards passing and rushed for another 108 yards to lead Saskatchewan to a 26-24 victory in the CFL West semifinal for its first home playoff win in 31 years.

Joseph will be up against Winnipeg quarterback Kevin Glenn for MOP honours at the annual CFL awards during Grey Cup week in Toronto. While Glenn threw for more yards (5,117 to 4,002) and was far and away the top signal-caller in the first half of the season, Joseph was a model of consistency and was the league's seventh-best rusher, averaging 8.2 yards per carry.

Think this race is too tough to call? Well, that's why we brought in the CFL on CBC panel of Daved Benefield, Greg Frers and Khari Jones, along with play-by-play man Mark Lee, to settle matters.

Each of them voted on the game's top player and nine other categories. So without further ado, here are the winners:

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

Benefield: I think [Kerry] Joseph, only because of his running and throwing. He's come so far in just one year. [Saskatchewan] coach [Kent] Austin is a guy that can bring out the best in quarterbacks.

Frers: If I had the choice I would go off the board and say [B.C. running back] Joe Smith. He is the foundation of that team. Between Kevin Glenn and Kerry Joseph, I would pick Joseph. You could also make an argument for [B.C. defensive back] Ryan Phillips over Joseph.

Jones: Kevin Glenn and Kerry Joseph are two great picks. Kerry Joseph gets the slight edge in my opinion because of his consistency through the year. [B.C. running back] Joe Smith is the only other person I'd put in the mix.

Lee: It's a tough vote for this year. Both Joseph and Glenn are great picks for their respective divisions. If you look at quarterback efficiency rating for the first two-thirds of the season, no one was in the same league as Kevin Glenn. But throwing eight interceptions in his last five games I think really hurt him. In the end, what sold me on Kerry Joseph was the fact he lost league-leading receiver Matt Dominguez, Yo Murphy and Mike Washington [to injury] and turned sophomore [slotback] Andy Fantuz into the breakout player of the year.

TOP CANADIAN

Benefield: I'll give it to [Winnipeg defensive lineman] Doug Brown. Without him, the Blue Bombers defence goes nowhere. He's very strong. He warms up in the gym lifting 315 pounds. He also has great agility for a guy that tall [six-foot-eight].

Frers: [Winnipeg defensive lineman] Doug Brown doesn't play a glamorous position but is double-teamed all the time and a big part of the Blue Bombers defence. If you're looking for a high performer night after night I would say [B.C. slotback] Jason Clermont. He's one of those players that can make the clutch catch in the most critical times in a game.

Jones: I'd probably go with [B.C. slotback Jason] Clermont. He has been consistent and I'm a big fan of that. I could see [Montreal slotback Ben] Cahoon getting the nod at some point this season, and [Winnipeg receiver] Kamau Peterson stepped up his game and was as consistent as anyone.

Lee: Doug Brown is a monster on the defensive line for Winnipeg, but B.C. [slotback] Jason Clermont is a rock. I think Clermont might have the edge. Guys like Clermont help the quarterback have trust and confidence in his receivers. He's always where he has to be on the field and you can count on him for the big catch. He's also a huge leader.

TOP ROOKIE

Benefield: [B.C. defensive end] Cameron Wake, hands down. He benefits by playing with a veteran defensive line and veteran defensive secondary. When he's had the opportunity to do things, he hasn't made mistakes and has used his athleticism to get to quarterbacks. He's not long for this league.

Frers: Cameron Wake. No one is going to vote for a kicker [Hamilton's Nick Setta]; when the Ticats struggled he was fantastic, but it was overshadowed by playing on a crappy team. Wake makes plays and is a benefactor of the guys around him. From Game 1 he was huge and made fans in B.C. forget about the loss of Chris Wilson [to the NFL].

Jones: Cameron Wake, hands down. This is the only category where I'd be upset if someone else got it [at the league awards]. He brought it from the beginning of the year. For him to replace a guy like Chris Wilson [now with the NFL's Washington Redskins], that says something. He's just a scary dude. He has a big motor and doesn't stop. He can chase people down and is a great addition to an already solid defensive line.

Lee: Cameron Wake is a slam dunk. Up against Hamilton kicker Nick Setta, this is Godzilla versus Bambi. Setta had a tremendous season. I think he only missed one field goal in the last month of the season, but Wake is a beast. He has speed, is physical and is well built. He knew the wide field in the CFL was built for him.

TOP SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER

Benefield: [B.C. kick returner] Ian Smart. He's a throwback to [former Edmonton Eskimos returner Henry] (Gizmo) Williams without the 4.1-second speed [in the 40-yard dash]. He's compact and steady like Gizmo and after his first one or two strides he's gone and handles hits well.

Frers: Ian Smart. Although the numbers are better for Dorsey – 10.8-yard average to 9.9 on punt returns – Smart put them in position to score, even when the offence struggled to move the ball.

Jones: Ian Smart over Dominique Dorsey. You can't give the award to someone that played half a season [Toronto's Dorsey]. Smart is a hard worker and is always looking for the extra. Whenever the offence struggled, he was there to put it in good field position. He also gives the Lions an added dimension in the backfield with [CFL rushing champion] Joe Smith.

Lee: Ian Smart was there all season as a field-position factor, but Dominique Dorsey was the only one to return three kicks for touchdowns this season. He only played half a season and that's what makes it an interesting pick. He gets my vote.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Benefield: I look at [Toronto's] Pinball [Clemons] and [Saskatchewan's Kent] Austin. If the Roughriders go into B.C. and put it together [in the West final] then Austin deserves it. Pinball was a guy who kept the ship intact [after a 2-6 start].

Frers: Kent Austin. [B.C.'s] Wally Buono is also a tremendous candidate. He revamped his offence, making that aggressive choice and going through three quarterbacks. But when you have a team like Austin did, lacking veteran leadership, lead it to 12 wins and change the philosophy and feel in Regina, that's very impressive.

Jones: This is (Pinball) Clemons's year to lose. You could make an argument for [Saskatchewan's] Kent Austin for how he put the team together and has them going in the right direction. But Clemons lost [starting] quarterback Michael Bishop for six games and still the team came back to take first place [in the East]. No one probably thought that would happen.

Lee: Wally Buono [in B.C.] had the best record [14-3-1], was forced to use three quarterbacks and still managed to win with a superb game plan to take the pressure off them by using running back Joe Smith. Toronto won seven in a row and nine of its last 10 games after a 2-6 start, and a lot of that has to do with Clemons's motivation and keeping people positive. And Kent Austin obviously did a phenomenal job in Saskatchewan. I think he would get my vote for restoring that franchise and guiding the Riders to their first home playoff game in 19 years.

MOST SURPRISING TEAM

Benefield: Hamilton. [Coach] Charlie Taaffe brought in coaches who don't know the CFL game like you would expect. They didn't give [third-string quarterback] Richie Williams a shot. At the end of the day you have to give everyone on your roster a shot. There wasn't much room for failure in Hamilton this year and I guess that's why [general manager] Marcel Desjardins is not there now [after being fired on Nov. 4].

Frers: On the positive side I would say Saskatchewan. They lost so many recognizable names last off-season, but they started the season very aggressive and very successful on defence. They also had a new offensive playbook and new players, so for that offence to be as successful as fast as it was is very impressive.

Jones: Calgary in a negative sense. I thought it would be their year to get over the hump and challenge for first place in the West, but they seemed to fall apart. Their record [7-10-1] definitely wasn't what they were looking for.

Lee: I would say Saskatchewan. I didn't think it would be this good so fast under [general manager] Eric Tillman and [rookie coach] Kent Austin. I also didn't think Hamilton would be as bad as it was. The Tiger-Cats continue to be tossed salad in the front office and coaching staff. The feel-good story is the Toronto Argonauts winning the East Division without much offence.

BEST IN/OFF-SEASON TRADE

Benefield: Saskatchewan getting back [running back] Corey Holmes from Hamilton for [receiver] Jason Armstead. Corey had 100 people show up at the airport at 11 o'clock at night to welcome him back. That's the best trade. It's not looking good for Armstead. He didn't light it up on special teams and didn't light it up on offence. He's fairly good but not an upper-echelon guy.

Frers: Saskatchewan acquiring Wayne Smith and Corey Holmes from Hamilton for Rocky Butler. Both Smith and Holmes are impact players for Saskatchewan and Butler isn't even with Hamilton anymore.

Jones: The Wayne Smith-D.J. Flick for Rocky Butler trade is the best and worst trade. I don't think anything could top that. Saskatchewan got an above-average Canadian offensive lineman [in Smith] and a wide receiver [Flick] that carried their offence this year. They needed a change of scenery, got it and flourished. They were a big part of Saskatchewan's success. Releasing Rocky Butler and then have him [sign with] Toronto and play fairly well didn't help.

Lee: The best trade was Saskatchewan getting lineman Wayne Smith and receiver D.J. Flick from Hamilton for Rocky Butler. They fleeced the Tiger-Cats on that one. They got a receiver that was unwanted in Hamilton and finished in a three-way tie for the most touchdown receptions in the CFL [10] while Smith helped bring youth to a revitalized offensive line.

WORST IN/OFF-SEASON TRADE

Benefield: [Running back] Corey Holmes to Saskatchewan from Hamilton for [receiver] Jason Armstead. It's not looking good for Armstead. He didn't light it up on special teams and didn't light it up on offence. He's fairly good but not an upper-echelon guy.

Frers: The worst decision [Hamilton general manager] Marcel Desjardins made was going with young players and young coaches. It was doomed from the start. I fully expected they weren't going to have success. You can't have that level of maturity and think you're going to have success.

Jones: See best trade comment above.

Lee: Corey Holmes to Saskatchewan from Hamilton for Jason Armstead. This dates back to the Ottawa Renegades dispersal draft when Hamilton dealt the No. 1 overall pick to Saskatchewan for Holmes, non-import safety Scott Gordon and the Roughriders' first-round pick in the 2007 Canadian college draft [receiver Chris Bauman]. The Ticats could have had Joseph in the dispersal draft, so it ends up being Kerry Joseph and Holmes for Armstead and Bauman.

MOST PIVOTAL PLAY

Benefield: [Winnipeg running back] Charlie Roberts was stripped of the ball by B.C. Lions linebacker Otis Floyd on the Blue Bombers' one-yard line [with 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Oct. 5]. Winnipeg was just about to win [27-26 with a converted touchdown].

Frers: The play when [B.C. quarterback] Jarious Jackson threw a touchdown to Geroy Simon with 34 seconds left to play [in Regina on Sept. 22] to give the Lions a 37-34 win. The reason it was pivotal wasn't the fact it gave B.C. first place in the West. It was pivotal because Jackson stepped up to be a big-play quarterback in the crunch. Until that play he was flat, but he showed he can step up and deliver when everything is on the line.

Jones: The Jarious Jackson 33-yard touchdown pass to Geroy Simon that gave B.C. a 37-34 win over Saskatchewan and first place in the West. It was a combination of the timing and how they did it. I'm a big fan of players that can perform when the pressure is on. Jarious has shown over time that he can make key plays in the fourth quarter.

Lee: With 34 seconds left to play at Mosaic Stadium B.C. Lions quarterback Jarious Jackson found [slotback] Geroy Simon in the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown on third-and-10 to give B.C. a 37-34 win and first place in the West Division. It was the first time B.C. had the lead in that game. That's when Jackson really came of age.

GREY CUP WINNER

Benefield: I have the feeling Toronto will win 30-20 over B.C. [Argos quarterback Michael] Bishop came on in the Saskatchewan game [after a disappointing effort previous week against Winnipeg]. That was a test he needed to pass. [Running back] John Avery has started to come on. He can be a troublesome guy to stop.

Frers: I think B.C. is going to win over Toronto. Obviously it's going to be a defensive football game, but I believe B.C. has the better field-goal efficiency. Head-to-head, B.C.'s Paul McCallum versus Noel Prefontaine, I think McCallum is the better choice. The score will be 23-20.

Jones: I'm going with Toronto. I feel the momentum is there and being at home is a big factor. The way the defence and special teams has played all year, if they get any production from the offence they will be tough to beat. I'll say 24-14 over B.C. The nerves of playing in the Grey Cup slow things down a little [offensively].

Lee: I don't like to make predictions because I have to face the players in the locker room, but B.C. has to be the favourite. Their [three] quarterbacks are healed at the right time. It could be a rematch of the 2004 Grey Cup against Toronto. Two dome teams in the climate-controlled Rogers Centre [in Toronto], I'll say 25-20.