The Saskatchewan Roughriders find themselves in a familiar role after arriving in Calgary yesterday.

The Riders are the underdogs to the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup game. It's not a label they are happy about but one they are used to playing.

"Everyone looks at us as the underdogs but of course we don't feel that way," Riders quarterback Darian Durant said after touching down at Calgary International Airport. "We feel like we deserve to be here. If they want to overlook us, that's fine. That's how it has been all year." The Alouettes are the favourites after posting a 15-3-0 regular-season record and pounding the B.C. Lions 56-18 in the East Division final. Saskatchewan was 10-7-1 and defeated the Calgary Stampeders 27-17 in Sunday's West Division final. Montreal swept the two-game regular series between the two teams and has been the CFL's dominant squad through the 2009 season.

"There's no doubt that they deserve to be the favourites," said Riders defensive back Lance Frazier. "It just happens that they have been kicking butt all season long." The Alouettes have been established as nine-point favourites.

"If I was a betting man, I would bet on Montreal, too," Frazier said with a laugh.

The Riders are used to people betting against them, particularly this season. In some pre-season previews, the Riders were picked to finish fourth in the West Division.

There there were some experts who didn't expect the Riders to beat the Stampeders in the West Division final despite finishing first in the standings for the first time in 33 years.

"In my mind, we were never the underdogs," said Riders middle linebacker Rey Williams, whose 10 defensive tackles and three sacks in the West Division final earned him the CFL's defensive player-of-the-week award. "I know that we were everyone else's. No one likes being the underdog because for some reason it means you're not as good as somebody else. That is not the case." Williams said the Riders took the pre-season rankings personally.

"It was a slap in the face," said Williams. "During the off-season I talked to Darian Durant and Lance Frazier and we felt with the talent that we had on this team that we should be here. We're always picked last for some reason. We have some great guys on this team and some great character guys. That's why we are here." Frazier felt there were good reasons for doubting the Riders. Defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall left during the off-season to become the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos. The Riders then lost all-star linebackers Maurice Lloyd and Anton McKenzie to free agency. Williams and Tad Kornegay have filled their voids but there were doubts before the season started.

"Every time there is a change with our ball club, they think it's the end of the world," said Frazier. "We lost some key guys. We took it upon ourselves and we had a chip on our shoulder all year to prove people wrong."