This was supposed to be the Toronto Argonauts’ easy stretch of the schedule. Sitting just a half game out of the East Division lead with a 7-5 record, the Argos were hoping to enjoy five of their last six regular season games at home.

But with the Toronto Blue Jays in the postseason, Rogers Centre’s main tenant is forcing the Argos on the road for their home game against the Ottawa Redblacks Tuesday, and possibly more later in the month. With the move to Ottawa, the Double Blue has surrendered home-field advantage to the Redblacks for the game.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the Argos have no time to feel sorry for themselves. There is still a crucial game against an East rival also in contention for first place to play.

“It basically saves the day,” said TSN 1050 host and play-by-play voice of the Argos Mike Hogan. “They’re looking at the game against Ottawa as not being in Ottawa, not being a home game that’s been taken away from them. They’re looking at Ottawa and seeing a team that might be a little tired – three games in 11 days – and smelling some blood, saying ‘We can get into a three-way tie for first place with a win.’ That’s what’s motivating them right now.”

While the Argos are going into the game with the right attitude, players and staff are still using the situation as a little motivation.

“Coach Scott Milanovich will probably express it as ‘Guys, we’re the best when times are toughest, and we’re the best when we have to adapt to our environment.’” TSN football analyst and former Toronto Argonauts offensive lineman Chris Schultz said. “Yeah, I think you can use it as motivation. I think you can use an us-against-the-world mentality.”

“Certainly when they go into Ottawa again for a ‘home game’, Milanovich is going to use that,” Hogan echoed. “There’s no question he’s going to use that.”

Tough travel is nothing new to the Argonauts this year. Toronto started with four of their first five games on the road, their lone home contest played in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Schultz, who played for the Argos from 1986-1994, said he can relate with what the current players are feeling.

“Our stadium was in Exhibition Place and, at the time when I played, Exhibition Place was used for everything. So we became nomads in terms of practices. We had basically three practice facilities.”

“It’s an accumulation of everything. Football players love their routine, they love what time they arrive, what they do from the moment they arrive. Structure is everything to this team.”

Schultz said based on his experience, it’s not so much a matter of fighting through the circumstance, but rather just dealing with the hand you’re dealt.

“It’s just an acceptance. Every now and then when you drive to work you hit traffic. What are you going to do? You can’t fly, so you get in your car and you drive through traffic and you get there when you get there. This is the exact same thing – you just grind it out.”

“It does wear on you but it’s just something you adapt to and you grind it out.”

The travel schedule hasn’t been the only thing that hasn’t gone the Argos’ way this year. The team has been without a number of key players for large portions of the season, most notably quarterback Ricky Ray, who hasn’t played a game this year while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.

“Here’s a team that hasn’t taken a snap with their starting quarterback this year, that has had all of this travel, that has had – like every team in the league – so many key injuries to so many key people, especially early in the season,” Hogan said.

“What they’ve done with the injury to Ray and the travel and the circumstance that surrounds the schedule, I’m stunned that they have a shot at first place at the end of the season.”

Another key loss has been star receiver and returner Chad Owens. Owens is healthy now, but he has missed four games so far this season. That absence has contributed to the 33-year-old putting up a disappointing season statistically for his standards – 33 receptions for 357 yards and a touchdown as a receiver, 22 punt returns for 343 yards and a touchdown as a punt returner.

For a player like Owens however, the only number that matters is wins.

“He’s been fine; he’s happy they’re winning,” Hogan said. “I think he’s a guy who, while he wants the good numbers, at the same time will give up the individual stats to win. If both happen at the same time, that’s an added bonus.”

There has been a lot of noise for Argos players to endure all season, and while a part of them may be thinking next year – and the permanent residence at BMO Field that comes with it – can’t come soon enough, there is still important work to be done this year. And all that noise during the week? It doesn’t follow them to the field on game day.

“Once the kickoff happens on Tuesday night, all the other peripheral stuff is out the window,” Hogan said. “It’s going to be, ‘okay, what do I have to do on this specific play to help us win?’ Football players are incredibly focused like that. Once the game gets started they’re in that mode.”