The Argonauts finished in third place in the East Division but missed out on a playoff spot due to the crossover rule.

The 9–9 BC Lions, fourth place in the West Division, had a better record and therefore eliminated the Argos from the playoffs.

Entering the final game of the season at 7–10 against the Ottawa Redblacks, the Argos needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, which they did.

They also needed Hamilton to lose to Montreal for the Argos to finish second and make the playoffs ahead of the crossover team, the BC Lions.

They concluded a trade with the Edmonton Eskimos to secure the third overall pick, enabling them to draft Anthony Coombs.