The 1983 Ottawa Rough Riders finished the season in second place in the East Division with an 8–8 record. This season marked the last time an Ottawa football team hosted a playoff game until 2015 when the second-year Ottawa Redblacks hosted the East Final, where the Rough Riders lost the East-Semi Final game to Hamilton by a score of 33–31.
Rd
|
Pick
|
Player
|
Position
|
School
|
1 |
2 |
Steve Harrison |
LB |
British Columbia
|
2 |
11 |
Junior Robinson |
DB |
Guelph
|
3 |
20 |
Sam Benincasa |
LB |
Guelph
|
4 |
29 |
John Kane |
OL |
Michigan Tech
|
5 |
38 |
Courtney Taylor |
DB |
Wilfrid Laurier
|
6 |
47 |
Francois Payer |
DE |
Bishop's
|
7 |
56 |
Chris Rhora |
DE |
Acadia
|
8 |
65 |
Don Clow |
WR |
Acadia
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Final Score
|
Result
|
Attendance
|
Record
|
June 10
|
at Montreal Concordes
|
14–4
|
Loss
|
10,100
|
0–1
|
June 16
|
vs. Montreal Concordes
|
34–13
|
Loss
|
12,803
|
0–2
|
June 24
|
at Toronto Argonauts
|
31–15
|
Loss
|
28,107
|
0–3
|
June 29
|
vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
47–40
|
Win
|
13,331
|
1–3
|
Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Score
|
Result
|
Attendance
|
Record
|
1
|
July 8
|
at Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|
26–25
|
Win
|
18,995
|
1–0
|
2
|
July 16
|
at Montreal Concordes
|
36–28
|
Loss
|
15,621
|
1–1
|
3
|
July 21
|
vs. Calgary Stampeders
|
27–16
|
Loss
|
18,621
|
1–2
|
4
|
July 28
|
vs. Edmonton Eskimos
|
44–4
|
Loss
|
18,622
|
1–3
|
5
|
Bye
|
6
|
Aug 13
|
at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
24–22
|
Loss
|
14,729
|
1–4
|
7
|
Aug 19
|
vs. Toronto Argonauts
|
27–17
|
Loss
|
30,006
|
1–5
|
8
|
Aug 26
|
at Edmonton Eskimos
|
17–14
|
Win
|
49,880
|
2–5
|
9
|
Sept 2
|
vs. BC Lions
|
49–19
|
Win
|
22,234
|
3–5
|
10
|
Sept 9
|
vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
29–28
|
Loss
|
23,475
|
3–6
|
11
|
Bye
|
12
|
Sept 25
|
vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
29–25
|
Win
|
26,014
|
4–6
|
13
|
Oct 1
|
at Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
24–23
|
Win
|
24,404
|
5–6
|
14
|
Oct 8
|
at Calgary Stampeders
|
29–24
|
Win
|
24,167
|
6–6
|
15
|
Oct 16
|
vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|
42–23
|
Win
|
25,642
|
7–6
|
16
|
Oct 23
|
at Toronto Argonauts
|
20–19
|
Win
|
36,526
|
8–6
|
17
|
Oct 29
|
vs. Montreal Concordes
|
25–20
|
Loss
|
20,959
|
8–7
|
18
|
Nov 5
|
at BC Lions
|
40–13
|
Loss
|
42,901
|
8–8
|
[1]
Round
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Score
|
Result
|
Attendance
|
East Semi-Final
|
Nov 13
|
vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
33–31
|
Loss
|
28,524
|