When head coach John Hufnagel announced his decision on Tuesday to start Drew Tate at quarterback when the Calgary Stampeders host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Sunday's Western Semi-Final, two old sayings came to mind that sum up the two schools of thought in such a dilemma.

The first adage that any pro athlete will tell you is, 'You should never lose your starting job due to injury.' Translation: Start Drew Tate.

The second saying that many pro coaches will tell you is, 'You gotta dance with the girl that brung ya.' Translation: Start Kevin Glenn.

Which one should rule the day in this instance? Who would you start at quarterback for the Stampeders - Drew Tate or Kevin Glenn?

If we backtrack to the end of last season, Drew Tate impressed enough down the stretch that those in the Stampeders organization decided to hand the reins to him and deal fan favourite and veteran Henry Burris to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Certainly, not a decision that was taken lightly.

So Tate comes into this season as the starter with Kevin Glenn, acquired from the Tiger-Cats in the deal, serving as the veteran backup.

But a dislocated shoulder suffered in Week 2 and the subsequent surgery to repair the damage put Tate on the sidelines for a long stretch.

Up steps Glenn, who led the Stampeders to a 9-5 record in Tate's absence, throwing for 4,220 yards and 25 touchdowns and leading the Stampeders to a second-place finish in the West.

It appeared Tate was out for the rest of the regular season but he returned to play in parts of the final two games, giving Hufnagel two viable options for the playoffs.

While Tate is closer to a rookie than a veteran when it comes to playoffs, he was the de facto starter in Week 1 and the reason Burris was traded away. If he didn't start, would it damage his confidence down the road?

Glenn has been there, done that in the CFL but is he best used as a weapon off the bench or a veteran presence for Tate on the sidelines?

Hufnagel has decided to go with Tate to start Sunday's game, subscribing to the first saying of giving the starter his job back when he's healthy. But how many Stampeders fans would feel more comfortable bringing Glenn to the dance?

Who would you start at quarterback for the Stampeders - Drew Tate or Kevin Glenn? As always, it's Your! Call.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-10) will defeat the host Calgary Stampeders (12-6) in the CFL West semifinal at McMahon Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

John Hufnagel, the Stampeders' coach, says he's playing a hunch with his choice of quarterback, so I'm playing a hunch with my choice of winner.

Anointing Drew Tate as his man behind centre may have come from one of those sleepless 3 a.m. moments early this week when counting sheep no longer seemed to be working, and tossing around only aggravated the old throwing shoulder.

But instead of waking up in the morning, shaking his head and muttering softly, "Wow, what a weird dream I had," old Huff decided to go with it.

Gosh, why?

Tate, who spent most of the year rehabbing from surgery on a separated shoulder, has accumulated enough minutes to fill out around 2 1/2 games. Since coming back on Oct. 26, he's tossed exactly 22 passes. For the year, he's thrown only 63.

Then there's this other guy.

Kevin Glenn led Calgary to two wins in three tough games against Saskatchewan, throwing 66 completions in 104 attempts for 766 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception. He was steady, professional and led the team with aplomb.

Glenn was statistically the fourth-best QB in the league, behind Henry Burris, Anthony Calvillo and Travis Lulay, and had the second-highest completion percentage (66.7), trailing only Ricky Ray. Yes, he threw 16 picks, but only one of those was against the Riders.

Tate has not played a single down against Regina in 2012, by the way, but apparently experience against the opponent isn't important in playoff games.

Let's break the clubs down a bit here.

Both can run. Jon ("Wow, can you believe he's Canadian? I mean, really, Canadian. Like, bacon and maple syrup and stuff") Cornish led the CFL with 1,457 yards on a 5.6-yard average for Calgary, while Kory Sheets had 1,277 yards on a 5.6 average for the Riders.

Both have receivers. Nick Lewis caught 100 balls for 1,241 yards and a 12.4 average. Weston Dressler, in green, snagged 94 for 1,206 and a 12.8 average.

Both can play defence when it counts. Saskatchewan was second and Calgary third in first downs allowed, and each was in the top four in all categories against the run. That accounts for why Sheets and Cornish both struggled on the ground in the three head-to-head contests.

The exception to that was Cornish's 24-carry, 159-yard effort on Aug. 25 in Regina, a game Calgary still only scored 17 points in (while holding the Riders to 10).

And each club has a pretty good pass defence.

Up and down the offensive stats, these teams are pretty much equal, with Calgary coming out on top in the wash.

There are some strong reasons why Calgary is favoured by just about everyone to win this thing, however, chiefly that the Stamps won their last four in a row and the Riders lost their last four in a row. That tends to get your attention.

Those White Stallions also have a couple of defenders who can send chills up your spine in Juwan Simpson (82 tackles) and Charleston Hughes (11 sacks, second in the league).

Plus, they're at home, where they are 7-2 against a club that is 3-6 on the road.

So, what possible reason, other than a bad headache, would there be to pick the Riders?

This is why:

1. Calgary has lost three straight playoff games, and in the last four times these teams have met in the post-season, the Green and White have won all of them.

2. This is hardly a home game -- as much as half of the seats at McMahon are expected to be filled with Saskatchewan fans who will gather from near and far.

3. It's going to be cold (around -2 to -5) with clear skies and some wind. That means ball control, and the Riders lead the league in time of possession at 32:06, while the Stamps are second last at 28:37. Yes, that's because Calgary tends to strike quickly, but those kinds of attacks happen less often in the freeze.

4. Cold wind means cold hands. The Riders do not fumble the ball (only seven lost all year to lead the CFL), while the Stamps dropped the faux pigskin twice as much (14 lost).

5. Riders QB Darian Durant may not be the most spectacular pivot ever, but he had a 64.4 per cent completion mark this year and had pretty much the same pick percentage as Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray.

6. John Hufnagel is starting the wrong quarterback.

That thing again.

As mentioned, Huff is playing a hunch. In the playoffs. With the season on the line.

I've a hunch the Stamps are going to regret that.