Just curious, do Canadians follow college football or are you more of an exception? Also, do Canadians perceive NU as a big time powerhouse?
You'd be surprised how much Canadians (and not just us Alumni of US schools) follow the games. Since all the stations, save ESPN, are available up here, and stations not broadcasting hockey on Saturdays need something to fill time. I find most big games on TV every week. Most of Canada actually gets the Detroit feed of ABC through one of the biggest cable providers, so one thing that surprised me is the number of UM fans throughout the country.
As for the CFL, since there is a cap on non-Canadian players, the fans generally get excited when a player from a known program comes up here, but like anything, you have to be able to play - it's still pro football and things happen so much faster than the college game.