# 1968 CFL season

The 1968 CFL season is considered to be the 15th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 11th Canadian Football League season.

## CFL News in 1968

J.G. (Jake) Gaudaur was appointed CFL Commissioner and the league adopted a new constitution. Gaudaur would serve in that position until 1984; he is the league's longest-tenured commissioner.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats wide receiver Ted Watkins was shot and killed while allegedly robbing a liquor store in California, shortly before the start of the CFL season.

## Regular season standings
### Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points
Western Football Conference :
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 345 | 223 | 25 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 412 | 249 | 20 |
| Edmonton Eskimos | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 228 | 288 | 17 |
| BC Lions | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 217 | 318 | 9 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 210 | 374 | 6 |
Eastern Football Conference :
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| Ottawa Rough Riders | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 416 | 271 | 20 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 284 | 266 | 18 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 262 | 292 | 13 |
| Montreal Alouettes | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 234 | 327 | 8 |
* Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
* Saskatchewan and Ottawa have first round byes.

## Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1968

### Conference Semi-Finals

Eastern Semi-Finals :
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Toronto Argonauts |||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 9 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 | Toronto Argonauts 33 |
Western Semi-Finals :
| Edmonton Eskimos @ Calgary Stampeders |||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 10 | Edmonton Eskimos 13 | Calgary Stampeders 29 |

### Conference Finals

Western Finals :
| Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders ||||
| Game | Date | Away | Home |
| 1 | November 16 | Calgary Stampeders 32 | Saskatchewan Roughriders 0 |
| 2 (OT) | November 20 | Saskatchewan Roughriders 12 | Calgary Stampeders 25 |
| Calgary wins the best of three series 2–0 ||||
Eastern Finals :
| Ottawa Rough Riders vs Toronto Argonauts ||||
| Game | Date | Away | Home |
| 1 | November 17 | Ottawa Rough Riders 11 | Toronto Argonauts 13 |
| 2 | November 24 | Toronto Argonauts 14 | Ottawa Rough Riders 36 |
| Ottawa won 2 game total-point series 47–27 ||||

## Playoff bracket

| Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | 56th Grey Cup | 56th Grey Cup | 56th Grey Cup |
| | | | E1 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 47 (11+36) | | | |
| East | East | East | E1 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 47 (11+36) | | | |
| East | East | East | E2 | Toronto Argonauts | 27 (13+14) | | | |
| E2 | Toronto Argonauts | 33 | E2 | Toronto Argonauts | 27 (13+14) | | | |
| E3 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 21 | | | | | | |
| E3 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 21 | | | | E1 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 24 |
| | | | | | | W2 | Calgary Stampeders | 21 |
| | | | W1 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 0 (0,12) | | | |
| West | West | West | W1 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 0 (0,12) | | | |
| West | West | West | W2 | Calgary Stampeders | 2 (32,25) | | | |
| W2 | Calgary Stampeders | 29 | W2 | Calgary Stampeders | 2 (32,25) | | | |
| W3 | Edmonton Eskimos | 13 | | | | | | |

## Grey Cup Championship

November 30
56th Annual Grey Cup Game: CNE Stadium – Toronto, Ontario :
| Western Champion | Eastern Champion |
| Calgary Stampeders 21 | Ottawa Rough Riders 24 |
| The Ottawa Rough Riders are the 1968 Grey Cup Champions ||
| Vic Washington (RB), Ottawa Rough Riders – Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player. ||

## CFL Leaders

* CFL Passing Leaders
* CFL Rushing Leaders
* CFL Receiving Leaders

## 1968 CFL All-Stars
### Offence

* QB – Russ Jackson, Ottawa Rough Riders
* RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* RB – Bill Symons, Toronto Argonauts
* RB – Vic Washington, Ottawa Rough Riders
* TE – Tommy Joe Coffey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* TE – Herman Harrison, Calgary Stampeders
* F – Ken Nielsen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* C – Ted Urness, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* OG – Charlie Parker, Montreal Alouettes
* OG – Bill Danychuk, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* OT – Bill Frank, Toronto Argonauts
* OT – Clyde Brock, Saskatchewan Roughriders

### Defence

* DT – Ed McQuarters, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* DT – John LaGrone, Edmonton Eskimos
* DE – Billy Ray Locklin, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* DE – Ed Harrington, Toronto Argonauts
* LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
* LB – Wally Dempsey, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* LB – Ken Lehmann, Ottawa Rough Riders
* DB – Frank Andruski, Calgary Stampeders
* DB – Bob Kosid, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* DB – Ed Learn, Toronto Argonauts
* DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts

## 1968 Eastern All-Stars
### Offence

* QB – Russ Jackson, Ottawa Rough Riders
* RB – Bo Scott, Ottawa Rough Riders
* RB – Bill Symons, Toronto Argonauts
* RB – Vic Washington, Ottawa Rough Riders
* TE – Tommy Joe Coffey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* TE – Mel Profit, Toronto Argonauts
* F – Whit Tucker, Ottawa Rough Riders
* C – Basil Bark, Montreal Alouettes
* OG – Charlie Parker, Montreal Alouettes
* OG – Bill Danychuk, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* OT – Bill Frank, Toronto Argonauts
* OT – Ellison Kelly, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

### Defence

* DT – Mike Wadsworth, Toronto Argonauts
* DT – Marshall Shirk, Ottawa Rough Riders
* DE – Billy Ray Locklin, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* DE – Ed Harrington, Toronto Argonauts
* LB – Jerry Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders
* LB – Allen Ray Aldridge Sr., Toronto Argonauts
* LB – Ken Lehmann, Ottawa Rough Riders
* DB – Larry Fairholm, Montreal Alouettes
* DB – Don Sutherin, Ottawa Rough Riders
* DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* DB – Ed Learn, Toronto Argonauts
* DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts

## 1968 Western All-Stars
### Offence

* QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* RB – Dave Raimey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* RB – Jim Evenson, BC Lions
* SE – Terry Evanshen, Calgary Stampeders
* TE – Herman Harrison, Calgary Stampeders
* F – Ken Nielsen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* C – Ted Urness, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* OG – Bob Lueck, Calgary Stampeders
* OG – John Atamian, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* OT – Ken Sugarman, BC Lions
* OT – Clyde Brock, Saskatchewan Roughriders

### Defence

* DT – Ed McQuarters, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* DT – John LaGrone, Edmonton Eskimos
* DE – Bill Whisler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* DE – Dick Suderman, Calgary Stampeders
* LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
* LB – Wally Dempsey, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* LB – Phil Minnick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* LB – Greg Findlay, BC Lions
* DB – Frank Andruski, Calgary Stampeders
* DB – Bob Kosid, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* DB – Jerry Keeling, Calgary Stampeders
* DB – Bruce Bennett, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* DB – Ernie Pitts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

## 1968 CFL Awards

* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Bill Symons (RB), Toronto Argonauts
* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Ken Nielsen (F), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Ken Lehmann (LB), Ottawa Rough Riders
* CFL's Coach of the Year – Eagle Keys, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (Eastern MVP) – Larry Fairholm (DB), Montreal Alouettes
* Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (Western MVP) - Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
* Gruen Trophy (Eastern Rookie of the Year) - Dave Knechtel (DL), Toronto Argonauts
* Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) - Dave Cranmer (RB), Calgary Stampeders
* DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) - Ed McQuarters (DT), Saskatchewan Roughriders