PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The college football prognosticators have one final chance at redemption with the slate of bowl games to conclude the 2014 season.
Local10.com managing editor Peter Burke holds a narrow one-game lead over sports reporter Clay Ferraro. Executive sports producer David Lang is three games behind Ferraro for third place, while sports producer Tory McMahon is in last place.
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For the bowl games, the panel is picking games involving ranked and state teams, games being played in the state and games airing on Local 10. With the advent of the College Football Playoff, the group is also projecting the two teams to play for the national championship and the winner of that game.
Miami is a consensus pick to defeat South Carolina in the Independence Bowl. A loss would hand the Hurricanes their first losing season since 2007.
Marshall is another consensus pick to beat Northern Illinois in the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl. The game is a semi-homecoming for Thundering Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato, who set numerous Miami-Dade County passing records playing for Miami Central High School.
There is much divide as to which team will emerge as national champion in Arlington, Texas next month.
Burke is picking his alma mater to repeat as national champion and remain undefeated for a second straight season. Ferraro and Lang are choosing Alabama, although the team they have the Crimson Tide beating to do so differs. McMahon is predicting Oregon to win the Rose Bowl and then knock off Alabama for the national championship.
All picks are in bold.
Peter Burke
Las Vegas Bowl: Colorado State vs. Utah at Las Vegas
Miami Beach Bowl: BYU vs. Memphis at Miami
Boca Raton Bowl: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois at Boca Raton, Fla.
St. Petersburg Bowl: N.C. State vs. UCF at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Independence Bowl: Miami vs. South Carolina at Shreveport, La.
Russell Athletic Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma at Orlando, Fla.
Belk Bowl: Georgia vs. Louisville at Charlotte, N.C.
Peach Bowl: Mississippi vs. TCU at Atlanta
Fiesta Bowl: Arizona vs. Boise State at Glendale, Ariz.
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State at Miami Gardens, Fla.
Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Wisconsin at Tampa, Fla.
Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. Michigan State at Arlington, Texas
Citrus Bowl: Minnesota vs. Missouri at Orlando, Fla.
Rose Bowl: FSU vs. Oregon at Pasadena, Calif.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Ohio State at New Orleans
Taxslayer Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee at Jacksonville, Fla.
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs. UCLA at San Antonio
Birmingham Bowl: ECU vs. Florida at Birmingham, Ala.
National Championship: Alabama vs. FSU
Clay Ferraro
Las Vegas Bowl: Colorado State vs. Utah at Las Vegas
Miami Beach Bowl: BYU vs. Memphis at Miami
Boca Raton Bowl: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois at Boca Raton, Fla.
St. Petersburg Bowl: N.C. State vs. UCF at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Independence Bowl: Miami vs. South Carolina at Shreveport, La.
Russell Athletic Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma at Orlando, Fla.
Belk Bowl: Georgia vs. Louisville at Charlotte, N.C.
Peach Bowl: Mississippi vs. TCU at Atlanta
Fiesta Bowl: Arizona vs. Boise State at Glendale, Ariz.
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State at Miami Gardens, Fla.
Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Wisconsin at Tampa, Fla.
Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. Michigan State at Arlington, Texas
Citrus Bowl: Minnesota vs. Missouri at Orlando, Fla.
Rose Bowl: FSU vs. Oregon at Pasadena, Calif.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Ohio State at New Orleans
Taxslayer Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee at Jacksonville, Fla.
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs. UCLA at San Antonio
Birmingham Bowl: ECU vs. Florida at Birmingham, Ala.
National Championship: Alabama vs. Oregon at Arlington, Texas
David Lang
Las Vegas Bowl: Colorado State vs. Utah at Las Vegas
Miami Beach Bowl: BYU vs. Memphis at Miami
Boca Raton Bowl: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois at Boca Raton, Fla.
St. Petersburg Bowl: N.C. State vs. UCF at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Independence Bowl: Miami vs. South Carolina at Shreveport, La.
Russell Athletic Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma at Orlando, Fla.
Belk Bowl: Georgia vs. Louisville at Charlotte, N.C.
Peach Bowl: Mississippi vs. TCU at Atlanta
Fiesta Bowl: Arizona vs. Boise State at Glendale, Ariz.
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State at Miami Gardens, Fla.
Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Wisconsin at Tampa, Fla.
Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. Michigan State at Arlington, Texas
Citrus Bowl: Minnesota vs. Missouri at Orlando, Fla.
Rose Bowl: FSU vs. Oregon at Pasadena, Calif.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Ohio State at New Orleans
Taxslayer Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee at Jacksonville, Fla.
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs. UCLA at San Antonio
Birmingham Bowl: ECU vs. Florida at Birmingham, Ala.
National Championship: Alabama vs. FSU at Arlington, Texas
Tory McMahon
Las Vegas Bowl: Colorado State vs. Utah at Las Vegas
Miami Beach Bowl: BYU vs. Memphis at Miami
Boca Raton Bowl: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois at Boca Raton, Fla.
St. Petersburg Bowl: N.C. State vs. UCF at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Independence Bowl: Miami vs. South Carolina at Shreveport, La.
Russell Athletic Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma at Orlando, Fla.
Belk Bowl: Georgia vs. Louisville at Charlotte, N.C.
Peach Bowl: Mississippi vs. TCU at Atlanta
Fiesta Bowl: Arizona vs. Boise State at Glendale, Ariz.
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State at Miami Gardens, Fla.
Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Wisconsin at Tampa, Fla.
Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. Michigan State at Arlington, Texas
Citrus Bowl: Minnesota vs. Missouri at Orlando, Fla.
Rose Bowl: FSU vs. Oregon at Pasadena, Calif.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Ohio State at New Orleans
Taxslayer Bowl: Iowa vs. Tennessee at Jacksonville, Fla.
Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs. UCLA at San Antonio
Birmingham Bowl: ECU vs. Florida at Birmingham, Ala.
National Championship: Alabama vs. Oregon at Arlington, Texas