The Exorcism of Wide Right/Left

Just one week after young Dustin Hopkins' entry into the Seminoles' tortured field goal history, he calmly drops a nuke on all of that nonsense...

This seems very familiar

ESPN Thursday night. Florida State at NC State.

For the fourth consecutive time, and fifth overall since FSU began ACC play in 1992, the biennial (not biannual, apparently) Wolfpack-Seminole showdown in Raleigh will highlight ESPN's broadcast on a Thursday evening. And despite all the jitters among the Seminole faithful, the arrangement has been successful for the Noles, who have won three of the four previous Thursday-at-Carter-Finley meetings. Nonetheless, the best Thursday night throwdown between the two was the lone Pack victory, a 24-20 grinder in 2006 that had all sorts of subplots and effects, namely:

• it was then-Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato's (NCSU letterman '65-'69) last victory in that capacity as NCSU promptly went on a 7-game skid to end the season
• yes, the Chuck Amato who was Florida State's linebackers coach prior to (1982-99) and following (2007-09) his stint as skipper in Raleigh
• it was - debatably - when en-masse finger pointing shifted from Jeff Bowden to Bobby Bowden regarding the slip in the Seminole program; the Jeff experiment as Florida State's offensive coordinator was put out to pasture a month later
  
• it was the beginning of FSU's second slide of the decade - from middle-lower end Top 25 program to perennial six-loss/unranked unit

Soooo.....lots of curious recent history here. Do I have a preview or prediction for tonight? No, I most certainly do not. A prediction is pointless since both teams have had 12 days to prepare, both teams are coming off subpar efforts, both teams have (thus far) performed better than expected, both teams are playing for the clear division lead, and both teams sport the two best quarterbacks in the league - recent struggles be damned.

Should be an interesting game though, if for no other reason than it's the first Florida State-NC State matchup sans any Chuck Amato involvement since 1964, a span of 23 games (1965-69, 1992-2009)

Champs Sports Grossly Overpriced Sweatshop Produced Apparel and Footwear Bowl Preview

FLORIDA STATE (8-4) vs. WISCONSIN (7-5)
Saturday, 12/27/08, 4:30pm ET - Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Series record: First meeting
What may or may not happen: I'm getting a weird vibe about this one. It's a clash of different styles of play, different cultures, and most profoundly a clash of generations. On paper and in your head, you would think the Noles would roll in this matchup. But I've got a bad feeling that despite being largely held in check, PJ Hill and whoever the Badgers' QB is will tear off a few big runs and inexplicably find some success in the passing game, while the FSU offense will turn the ball over at the most inopportune times. Nonetheless, the Seminoles' MVP this season - Groza winner Graham Gano - will end his career in style by kicking the game-winning field goal, allowing FSU to escape in a nailbiter. Florida State 23, Wisconsin 21

Florida State Preview

2008 Schedule

Sept. 6	WESTERN CAROLINA
Sept. 13	CHATTANOOGA
Sept. 20	WAKE FOREST
Sept. 27	Colorado (in Jacksonville)
Oct. 4	@Miami
Oct. 16	@N.C. State
Oct. 25	VIRGINIA TECH
Nov. 1	@Georgia Tech
Nov. 8	CLEMSON
Nov. 15	BOSTON COLLEGE
Nov. 22	@Maryland
Nov. 29	FLORIDA

2007 Results: 7-6 overall, 4-4 ACC (4th Atlantic Division); lost to Kentucky 35-28 in the Music City Bowl

Offense: Just as it has over the last three seasons, it begins and ends with the offensive line. Drew Weatherford may really be just a mediocre quarterback, but when he has less than a few seconds every snap to make reads and deliver the ball before he gets clotheslined, it's tough to accurately gauge what he might do with simply adequate protection. Ditto for the running backs, chiefly Antone Smith. When he gets so few holes to hit, and when he consistently has to break tackles in the backfield, it's difficult to tell how he'd perform with a simply average line. And so it goes with the receivers....very few times lately have you see a Seminole wideout take a beautiful toss in stride down the sideline or on a pretty post pattern; there's never been enough time for the QB to deliver those kinds of passes. Last year's line was the worst of the Bobby Bowden era, with poorly developed players learning a new scheme, mixed with inexperienced young talent. And it certainly didn't help that injuries depleted the OL depth chart to just seven roster players at one point last season. The 2008 line is still a work in progress, but the best players from last year's unit are back and have bought into OL coach Rick Trickett's proven style. Regardless of the line, one player is sure to sparkle this season and that is Preston Parker, a poor-man's Percy Harvin. Whether at wideout, running back (304 yards last season in place of the injured Smith) or punt returner, he can score every time. And lest I forget...Weatherford by no means has secured the QB position. Sophomores Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson both stepped up in the spring while Weatherford was recuperating from knee problems. Ponder has a better arm and Richardson has excellent scrambling ability. It's now a question of whether Weatherford's experience is too much of an asset (33 starts and a number of big wins) or a liability (just 20-13 as a starter, and he's conditioned to the awful protection and will scramble early or hurry throws unnecessarily). OC Jimbo Fisher's first big personnel decision since the succession plan announcement (see "Coaching" below) will be scrutinized aplenty.

Defense: By FSU standards, last year's defense was an abomination, ranking 42nd nationally in total and a stunning 85th in pass defense (against the generally lame ACC offenses to boot). Part of the reason for that was a dip in overall talent, but much of it had to do with the lack of depth the Noles have so often used to their advantage over the years. The good news is that some of the weak links have departed, but more importantly a horde of talent returns from the injury bug which should resolve some of the depth concerns. The line should be back to usual Seminole standards as DE Everette Brown is killing people in practice and earning comparisons to some of the best ever linemen in Tallahassee. The LB corps loses mouthy Geno Hayes but returns a deep pool of talent and brought in the nation's best linebacker recruit in Nigel Bradham. The secondary looks to have returned to the usual standards as corners Patrick Robinson (6 picks in just 5 starts last year) and Tony Carter return, along with junior rover Myron Rolle, who after a stellar freshman year in 2006 was unfocused last season due to - and this may be the only time you'll ever read this in a major football preview - an overemphasis on academics (he's already earned his degree and is a finalist for a Rhodes scholarship). His talent is undeniable, he's stepped up his offseason conditioning and has shined in practice.

Special Teams: What looked solid and stable just two days ago now appears very murky. Punter Graham Gano (43.4 yds per boot in '07) was injured the other day in practice and will miss the first month of the season. And to add salt to the wound, he was also slated for kickoffs and as Gary Cismesia's replacement at placekicker. I have no idea who takes over now. The return game is set with Parker back for another year on punts and Micheal Ray Garvin handling kickoffs for the third straight season.

Coaching: Last December's announcement of the "Head Coach in Waiting" plan has at least given Seminole faithful a timetable as to when the purgatory of the final Bobby Bowden years will end (2010 at the latest). Whether offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is the right man for the job remains to be seen, although several schools over the last few years sure seemed willing to give him a shot (most recently West Virginia last December). Fisher's offense was less than impressive last season, but with what he inherited from the failed Jeff Bowden experiment, it wasn't much of a surprise. From a recruiting standpoint, the coaching plan has sparked a renaissance of sorts; the Noles had a great class this winter and have stockpiled a lot of talent so far in the early-commit stage this summer. On paper, the succession plan looks like a winner; in practice, who the hell knows?

Odds & Ends: Guess who led the nation in "pass-interception avoidance" (yes, that's a real stat) in 2007? That would be Weatherford, with just three picks in 318 attempts.....Over the last five seasons the Seminoles have been underdogs just twelve times, but four of those came in the final five contests last year.....Bowden has gone 38-36-1 against Top 10 opposition in his 32 years at FSU; Joe Paterno's record against Top 10 opposition in his career is 31-40

Schedule Analysis: About as generous as the Noles could hope for. FSU smartly set up the first two games with 1-AA opponents in order to minimize the damage from the dozen-plus three-game suspensions levied by the school over last year's academic fraud case. The problem is that the ACC designated the third opponent as Wake Forest and the Deacons have been able to defeat full-strength FSU squads two years running. The season could easily hinge on that game, as an FSU upset could lead to a possible 6-0 start (and perhaps 8-0 if Virginia Tech has the off year I think they'll have). On a more general note, the two bye-weeks don't offer much help (the first is opening weekend, the second before a Thursday-nighter with N.C. State), but the four road games are spread out nicely and all four are winnable. November is the toughest part of the slate, with Clemson, BC and Florida coming to Tallahassee while a trip to Maryland (the Noles have lost two straight in College Park) looms before the showdown with the Gators. Duke, North Carolina and Virginia are off the schedule in this year's rotation.
Projected Wins: Western Carolina, Chattanooga, Colorado, @N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Boston College
Projected Losses: Wake Forest, Florida
Toss-Ups: @Miami, @Georgia Tech, Clemson, @Maryland

Primo Seminole Blogs: Chant Rant, Scalp 'Em, Tomahawk Nation

Heartwarming You-Tubery:
"Don't know what ya got, 'til it's gone..."

Preview Disclaimer

A Very Quick Music City Bowl Preview

FLORIDA STATE (7-5) vs. KENTUCKY (7-5) - Dec. 31, 2007, 4:30pm ET (ESPN)
In short, it will be a moral victory if the Seminoles can keep Kentucky under 40 and keep the margin of victory within 20. After two dozen suspensions stemming from a cheating scandal in an online course, on top of another dozen players lost to injury, the Seminoles enter this afternoon's matchup perilously thin...but with no pressure. No one expects them to be very competitive, much less win. Kentucky is shouldered with all the pressure to not just win, but to do so with decided ease.

The Seminoles' two-deep depth chart for the game is comical. Of the 47 spots listed, only 40 different players fill them. I'm a Seminole alum and follow the team closely, and I don't recognize several names on the chart. Thankfully for the Noles, their top four offensive playmakers will be present as well as most of their top defensive talent. Even without the legion of missing players, the offensive lines and the secondary were weak points for FSU. Now, they are impending disasters.

Look for the Noles to play out of their minds for most of the first half. Then watch for fatigue to settle in just before halftime, and for the inevitable unravelling in the second half. The 'Cats will put on the brakes midway through the 4th quarter in a show of mercy.

Kentucky 41, Florida State 17

Hurricane Nole

After what was left of Hurricane Noel dumped a load of wind and rain on Beantown for the Florida State-Boston College matchup on Saturday, FSU and the body snatcher of QB Drew Weatherford stormed BC for a 27-17 win, ending the Eagles' run for a national championship and likely sinking Matt Ryan's Heisman hopes.

In his return as starting QB, the previously much maligned Weatherford has completed 70% of his passes for 693 yards, 4 TDs, and no INTs in the last two weeks. Better numbers than that Ryan chap over that time frame, no? And a better record too.

Forgive me, but I am a partisan tonight. My alma mater just defeated the #2 team on the road, and celebrations are in order. 'Til tomorrow...


Like, the most ass-kickingest quarterback ever

Lest I Forget...

BOSTON COLLEGE 38 - WAKE FOREST 28
It certainly appears that Jeff Jagodzinski knows what he's doing, and that any apparent college-game rust has an effective cure-all called Matt Ryan. Let the Phillip Rivers comparisons begin (and the ABC guys calling the game wasted no opportunity in doing so), but for the Eagles' sake, let's hope Ryan can have a bit more overall success in the W-L department.

Wake, meanwhile, acquitted themselves nicely, churning out some decent offensive production if we ignore the fact that running the football is a part of most team's gameplans. In a league that is so incredibly quarterback deficient, it's amazing that the Demon Deacons can just plug in anyone on short notice and have him smoothly and cleanly throw the ball around (see: Skinner, Riley; and now Hodges, Justin).

GEORGIA TECH 33 - NOTRE DAME 3
The Pride of the ACC so far, the Yellow Jackets dropped the hammer on the Domers despite a somewhat clunky passing game (11 of 23, 121 yards) from UFC wannabe Taylor Bennett. All that is needed for the Jackets to win the league is for the running game - led by Tashard Choice and the powerful OL - to grind out 175+ yards per game, have Bennett dink-and-dunk and chuck it for 200 yards per contest, and make sure that Jon Tenuta's defense continues to screw with the minds of all those mediocre ACC QBs ("Matty Ice" Ryan aside). Just don't let The Chan get in the way.

MIAMI 31 - MARSHALL 3
You know big-time Hurricane football is back when the Orange Bowl is proudly half-full for a game against a non-Florida State, Virginia Tech, or Florida squad. 39,000+ saw Miami quietly control the game, scoring one touchdown per quarter and picking off Marshall QBs four times. Sure, Kirby Freeman was unimpressive (9 of 21, 86 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), and he'll probably get abused like a fresh inmate at Oz next Saturday at Oklahoma, but for one week Miami football looks to be back on track.

CLEMSON 24 - FLORIDA STATE 18
Meh. I've rarely seen such a bipolar game as this one, and since the manic/happy side was delivered by FSU in the 2nd half, you can't help but leave this game thinking that the Noles - while still appearing to be a year or two away from prominence - will have a more encouraging future. Like many seasons prior, Clemson started this game HOT HOT HOT and then just sorta deflated in the third and fourth quarters, much like they've done over the second half of many a season under Tommy Bowden.

And for God's sake Tiger fans...act like you've been there before. Charging the field after hanging on against a #19 Florida State squad is almost as pathetic as the Noles' "offensive line" in the first half. FSU hasn't been rushing-the-field-worthy since about 2003.

Florida State Preview

2007 Schedule

2006 Results: 7-6 overall, 3-5 ACC (5th Atlantic Division); beat UCLA 44-27 in the Emerald Bowl

Offense: What a difference 9 months and $537,000 makes. The departures of Jeff Bowden, QB coach Darryl Dickey, OL coach Mark McHale and RB coach Billy Sexton ushered in the most sweeping change of the Bobby Bowden era (more on that later). While the new coaches are instilling new schemes and shuffling around personnel, it's the previously wasted talent in Tallahassee that will still make the biggest difference. The QB duo of Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee did little to distinguish themselves in the spring game, although Weatherford is listed as the starter on the depth chart. The OL loses two starters from last year's horrendous unit, although everyone on the two-deep has game experience. The RB position is in the very capable hands of the small but bruising Antone Smith, with the sturdy Marcus Sims listed as his backup. The extremely talented WR corps is back with renewed vigor, headed up by Greg Carr and DeCody Fagg.

Defense: Scary good. The front seven - decimated by injuries last year - returns thirteen players with starting experience. And despite the injuries, the Noles still finished 18th nationally in total defense in 2006. The losses of Buster Davis and Lawrence Timmons to the private sector will surely be felt, but for years under Chuck Amato and Kevin Steele, FSU replaced linebacking talent with relative ease. The secondary was more fortunate in the health department in '06, and returns all 4 starters, led by the too-good-to-be-true Myron Rolle and superb corner Tony Carter. And as an added bonus, the second-stringers at corner and safety all played significantly last year, thanks to the continuous substitution patterns of that chronic sunflower-seed spitter, Mickey Andrews.

Special teams: The mercurial Gary Cismesia returns yet again, along with punter Graham Gano who did not impress in 2006. With the departure of Chris Davis (just 8.6 yards per return last year), punt returns should improve a notch with Patrick Robinson, while kickoffs will be fielded by cornerback and track star Michael Ray Garvin for the second straight year.

Coaching: The non-stop gushing among Seminole Nation since January over new OC Jimbo Fisher (from LSU), OL coach Rick Trickett (from West Virginia), and position coaches Lawrence Dawsey (WR) and Dexter Carter (RB) has yet to subside, and it's tough to blame the FSU faithful for such unabashed enthusiasm. After half a dozen years of embarrassing, kicking-holes-in-the-drywall (don't ask) ineptitude on the offensive staff, not only does competent and sound coaching return to Doak Campbell, but actual, proven excellence. Moreso than at offensive coordinator, Fisher's role as QB coach will likely make the quickest difference, while the drill sergeant mentality of Trickett in shaping up the offensive line may be the most important job of the offseason. The defensive coaches had a less active spring and summer, losing LB coach Kevin Steele to Alabama, but replacing him with old stalwart Chuck Amato, fresh off his up-and-down seven year stint in Raleigh. And last but not least, the reinvigorated Bobby Bowden is back to oversee his empire from his watchtower...in between naps, of course.

For What It's Worth: Eight of the Seminoles' thirteen games last year were decided by a TD or less, with FSU going 3-5 in those matchups....cause and effect - FSU won the turnover battle just three times in their 13 games last year, and all three games resulted in blowout victories (Rice, Virginia, UCLA)....Know thy enemy - new Seminole OC Jimbo Fisher held the same title under Nick Saban at LSU, and the Tide's new DC Kevin Steele was Executive Head Coach and LB coach at FSU for the last five years; the teams meet on Sept. 29....last year's Emerald Bowl victory was Florida State's first pre-January bowl game since 1990, breaking a string of 15 straight post-New Year's Day bowl appearances

Schedule Analysis: A double-edged sword, to put it mildly. These new look Seminoles will have all the opportunity in the world to prove they really are "back", if they can somehow manage to get 9 or more wins out of this gauntlet. All in all, the Noles get just five games at Doak Campbell, an increasingly hot-ticket game vs. Alabama in Jacksonville, and then six road games, including the Labor Day opener with Clemson and a particularly cruel November with trips to Boston College, Virginia Tech and Florida. Needless to say, a hot start (say 7-1) heading into that last month is critical.
Projected Wins- UAB, @Colorado, N.C. State, @Wake Forest, Miami, Duke, Maryland
Projected Losses- @Virginia Tech, @Florida
Toss-Ups- @Clemson, vs. Alabama, @Boston College

For More Opinionated, Yet Delightful, Seminole Insight: Tomahawk Nation, Chant Rant

Blast-From-The-Past, Feel-Good YouTube:

"Oh my word..."

Preview Disclaimer

Bowden Bowl IX on Labor Day

Florida State will visit Clemson on Monday night, Sept. 3, 2007, in the season opener for both schools. As an ACC fan, these Labor Day evening games are fantastic and offer the kind of exposure for the league that you really can't find outside of the annual conference title games.

As a Florida State fan, though, this sucks. It throws off the planning and practicing for the first two weeks of the season. On top of that, there's another game just 5 days later. Last year, the Noles almost lost to Troy five days after their Labor Day win at Miami. Thanks, but no thanks. Find some other sucker next year, ACC.


Sept. 3, 2007...The last of the interminable "Bowden Bowls"?

'Noles Roll

So naturally since I picked UCLA to beat Florida State in a low-scoring defensive Emerald Bowl, the Seminoles and Bruins combined for 864 yards of offense and 71 points in FSU's 44-27 victory. Please, for the love of God, never never never never friggin never wager so much as a nickel beer on anything I write in this online testament to my idiocy.

That said, congrats to Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles for pulling this 2006 season out of it's near fatal nosedive and turning in a nice smooth landing on the shores of San Francisco Bay.


That's 30 straight dadgum winning seasons, if you're counting

Emerald Bowl Preview

EMERALD BOWL - Dec. 27, 2006 - AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Florida State (6-6) vs. UCLA (7-5)
Outside of the Louisville-Wake Forest Orange Bowl matchup, this may be the most lopsided bowl as far as the "experts" go. I can't find anyone who's picking the Seminoles in this one. And, I can't blame them.

After watching UCLA's defense completely stifle the USC attack three weeks ago, it is quite hard to imagine how the FSU "offense", with lame duck Jeff Bowden calling the shots and mind-farked Drew Weatherford taking snaps, is going to accomplish much against the Bruins.

That said, look for the FSU defense to hold the Bruin attack in check as well. Lost in all the wailing about the Noles' offensive bumbling is that the Bruins rank 3 spots lower nationally than FSU in terms of total offense, and 17 spots lower in scoring offense.

The intangibles, however, favor FSU. Sure, UCLA is giddy about their upset of USC, but let's hold off on the coronation of the Coming Bruin Juggernaut for now. While their upset of the Trojans was certainly inspired, on that same day the Noles were giving everyone's-favorite-pick-now-to-win-the-national-title, Florida, all they could handle. And you cannot underestimate the determination that the Noles have to avoid that unheard-of losing season.

That said, look for the Noles to keep it close, only to ruin their chances of victory with the thing that has plagued them all season - turnovers.

UCLA 16, Florida State 13


6-7, coming right up

ACC Coaching Carousel Update

Well, it looks as if one open job has now been filled in ACC-ville......which unexpectedly has opened up another spot.

In a bit of a surprising move, all signs point to Boston College coach Tom O'Brien accepting the vacant head coaching position at Atlantic Division foe N.C. State, where he will get an annual chance to stick it to Eagle fans and show that 9-3 and mid-level bowls ain't all that bad.

Predictably, the two most prominent BC bloggers are in high spirits, albeit to varying degrees:

>>>Good Night Tom, and Good Luck
>>>F*** Off Tom!

Which now leads us to the newly available head coaching spot in Chestnut Hill. Since no official announcement has been made on O'Brien's departure, and with other head coaching spots open nationally, I'm not going to delve into the Eagles' opening just yet since many of the potential candidates could be snapped up by the time their official search gets underway. However, I will say that there is a great potential for disaster if BC doesn't hit a home run with this hire...unlike NC State, UNC and to a lesser extent Miami, whose programs are in relative shambles, the Eagles program is in it's best shape since the Doug Flutie days. The new Wolfpack, Tar Heel and Cane skippers could go 8-4 the next two years and would be lauded. That is certainly not the case for the next BC skipper. The Eagles are in a precarious spot; they have driven off - and make no mistake about it, O'Brien was driven out by the fan base - the winningest coach in school history, to a division rival no less. Going 8-4/9-3 every year, and winning 6 straight bowls wasn't good enough for BC, who clearly are at a disadvantage recruiting-wise and facility-wise from most of the other ACC programs. All of that is going to give every candidate for the job a bit of pause.

The Miami head coaching vacancy is apparently not generating the buzz Queen Shalala and Court Jester Dee were expecting. Steve Spurrier and Greg Schiano said no thanks in nearly record time. Texas Tech's Mike Leach, a curious possibility, interviewed in Coral Gables a few days ago. Hurricane DC Randy Shannon interviewed yesterday. Leach, while certainly a fall-back candidate, would not be an out-of-the ordinary hire for Miami (i.e. not "splashy" at the time). They plucked unheralded Jimmy Johnson from Oklahoma State in 1985, and no-name Dennis Erickson from Washington State in 1989. The Canes got a few rings out of those fellas. Still, Leach is a quirky dude, and perhaps a risky choice for Miami.

Last and probably least, the Florida State vacancy at offensive coordinator has been reliably linked at various times to the following: Norm Chow, Jimbo Fisher, Larry Fedora, Steve Logan (former ECU head coach and now an OC in NFL-Europe), Chris Hatcher (head coach at Div. II Valdosta State), George Henshaw (FSU OC from '79-'82, now with the New Orleans Saints), and Frank Cignetti (recently axed as UNC's OC, was much more successful as OC at Fresno State before). Insight from folks in the know say that Fisher is the guy if he can't land a head coaching gig somewhere, with Steve Logan climbing up the charts. Chow is considered an outside shot as he is clearly going after a fairly prominent head coaching job, while Hatcher and Cignetti are the fall-back guys if all of the other candidates decline.

New FSU Offensive Coordinator Announced

That was fast!

A curious choice...but not a surprising one

Jeff Bowden Resigns as FSU Offensive Coordinator

Well it's about damn time.

Today, the Human Lightning Rod of Seminole Nation took the honorable way out and tendered his resignation effective at the end of the season. For Seminole fans' sakes, let's hope this "resignation" is the first of many on Florida State's offensive staff (Paging Darryl Dickey, paging Darryl Dickey....Mark McHale, you're wanted in the Athletic Director's office.....).

ENCORE - Coach Bowden, It's Time

This is a re-posting of my entry from Oct. 6, 2006, shortly after FSU's inexplicable 4th loss in 7 games to a Chuck Amato coached team. Needless to say, it is time for another viewing after Wake Forest just went into Tallahassee and crushed Florida State 30-0, the first-ever home shutout in Bobby Bowden's 31 seasons with the Seminoles.

COACH BOWDEN, IT'S TIME

I have been a Florida State fan since the mid-1980s, and graduated from FSU in 1995. My college years were exactly in the middle of the Seminoles' 14-year Dynasty from 1987-2000. So yes, I've come to expect a certain level of performance out of my beloved Seminoles and from Bobby Bowden.

NC State's 24-20 victory over the Seminoles last night flipped that proverbial switch in my head. The problem with the last several years of Florida State football has not been Jeff Bowden, Chris Rix, terrible offensive lines, injuries, etc. The problem has been, and is, Bobby Bowden.

Bobby Bowden is 4-6 in his last 10 football games. And two of the four wins were Troy and Rice.

Bobby Bowden is like our elderly Grandpa who cannot and will not accept that age is getting the better of him. Even though he has blown through stop signs, pulled out in front of speeding traffic, and run over the neighbor's dog, he cannot and will not give up the car keys because those are literally the keys to his freedom, to a life. The FSU football program is Bobby Bowden's set of car keys.

For the last several years, Bowden's excuses for the increasing amount of losses have come down to a few predictable sound bites:

1- The players didn't execute
2- Other teams always get pumped up for FSU
3- We have too many injuries

I'm sure the coaching staff appreciates that their supervisor doesn't criticize them in public. That's admirable. What's not admirable is constantly pointing fingers at players for not executing. The policy needs to be total: either no one gets criticized in public (coaches and players), or everyone is fair game to get criticized in public. Singling out 18-22 year old players but shielding 40-50-and 60-something coaches is bizarre. But the reason that Bowden does this is simple: he cannot face the fact that he made a disastrous decision in promoting his son Jeff to offensive coordinator. Bobby stated in his book The Bowden Way that he won't fire a coach for performance because that means he will have to admit to himself that he made a mistake in hiring him. He is already predisposed to give an assistant coach all the time and opportunity in the world. When that assistant coach is also his son, and combined with the natural course of aging, the rationalizations for the disaster that is the FSU offense kick into high gear, and the abject refusal to make a change is intensified.

The player development on the offensive side of the ball since 2001 at Florida State has been non-existent. While the Noles still churn out high draft picks on defense, there is a dearth of development on the offensive side. But, Coach Bowden does not see a systemic problem. It's all about making the blocks, completing the passes, and not turning the ball over. If only it were that simple.

As an aside, consider this about Bowden and his obsessive defense of Jeff: one of Bobby's grandsons and his former son-in-law were killed in a car accident just a few days before the season opener in 2004. This loss devastated him to his core. Family is more important than ever to him. Keep that in mind if you really think he will demote or fire his own flesh and blood.

But, with Coach Bowden's abject refusal to make any change whatsoever and his stubborn decision to stay on as head coach, each loss will bring about more and more criticism of the son he only wishes to help. Each loss will bring more and more of the questions that now make him bristle. Each loss will ding his legacy a bit more.

Yes, Coach Bowden would love to retire as the winningest 1-A coach of all time. If he leaves after this year, Joe Paterno will likely pass him next season. Oh well. It would be much worse if Paterno passes Bowden while Bobby is still coaching.

For Coach Bowden's sake primarily, I truly hope he chooses to retire at the end of this season. And when I say for his sake primarily, I mean it--this may be the last season where he has the chance to go out on his own terms. The Noles are not going to magically get back into the Top 10 at status quo, and there are only so many 4 and 5-loss seasons that can be brushed aside. If Bobby were to make such an announcement soon, whatever happens this season (and in retrospect the last 5 years)gets glossed over. A 6-6 record? Oh well, but at least he knew when to leave. Tributes, farewells and tears will flow his way for all that he's done not just for Florida State but for all of college football.

Retirement will not be as boring as he thinks. He has a loving wife, 20+ grandkids, speaking engagements out the wazoo and plenty of golf to play. Mark Richt, Tommy Bowden and Chuck Amato will buzz his phone every week for advice and insight.

Bobby, we love ya, but it's time to hand over the keys. Thank you for all you've done.

Time gets the best of everyone

Coach Bowden, It's Time

I have been a Florida State fan since the mid-1980s, and graduated from FSU in 1995. My college years were exactly in the middle of the Seminoles' 14-year Dynasty from 1987-2000. So yes, I've come to expect a certain level of performance out of my beloved Seminoles and from Bobby Bowden.

NC State's 24-20 victory over the Seminoles last night flipped that proverbial switch in my head. The problem with the last several years of Florida State football has not been Jeff Bowden, Chris Rix, terrible offensive lines, injuries, etc. The problem has been, and is, Bobby Bowden.

Bobby Bowden is 4-6 in his last 10 football games. And two of the four wins were Troy and Rice.

Bobby Bowden is like our elderly Grandpa who cannot and will not accept that age is getting the better of him. Even though he has blown through stop signs, pulled out in front of speeding traffic, and run over the neighbor's dog, he cannot and will not give up the car keys because those are literally the keys to his freedom, to a life. The FSU football program is Bobby Bowden's set of car keys.

For the last several years, Bowden's excuses for the increasing amount of losses have come down to a few predictable sound bites:

1- The players didn't execute
2- Other teams always get pumped up for FSU
3- We have too many injuries

I'm sure the coaching staff appreciates that their supervisor doesn't criticize them in public. That's admirable. What's not admirable is constantly pointing fingers at players for not executing. The policy needs to be total: either no one gets criticized in public (coaches and players), or everyone is fair game to get criticized in public. Singling out 18-22 year old players but shielding 40-50-and 60-something coaches is bizarre. But the reason that Bowden does this is simple: he cannot face the fact that he made a disastrous decision in promoting his son Jeff to offensive coordinator. Bobby stated in his book The Bowden Way that he won't fire a coach for performance because that means he will have to admit to himself that he made a mistake in hiring him. He is already predisposed to give an assistant coach all the time and opportunity in the world. When that assistant coach is also his son, and combined with the natural course of aging, the rationalizations for the disaster that is the FSU offense kick into high gear, and the abject refusal to make a change is intensified.

The player development on the offensive side of the ball since 2001 at Florida State has been non-existent. While the Noles still churn out high draft picks on defense, there is a dearth of development on the offensive side. But, Coach Bowden does not see a systemic problem. It's all about making the blocks, completing the passes, and not turning the ball over. If only it were that simple.

As an aside, consider this about Bowden and his obsessive defense of Jeff: one of Bobby's grandsons and his former son-in-law were killed in a car accident just a few days before the season opener in 2004. This loss devastated him to his core. Family is more important than ever to him. Keep that in mind if you really think he will demote or fire his own flesh and blood.

But, with Coach Bowden's abject refusal to make any change whatsoever and his stubborn decision to stay on as head coach, each loss will bring about more and more criticism of the son he only wishes to help. Each loss will bring more and more of the questions that now make him bristle. Each loss will ding his legacy a bit more.

Yes, Coach Bowden would love to retire as the winningest 1-A coach of all time. If he leaves after this year, Joe Paterno will likely pass him next season. Oh well. It would be much worse if Paterno passes Bowden while Bobby is still coaching.

For Coach Bowden's sake primarily, I truly hope he chooses to retire at the end of this season. And when I say for his sake primarily, I mean it--this may be the last season where he has the chance to go out on his own terms. The Noles are not going to magically get back into the Top 10 at status quo, and there are only so many 4 and 5-loss seasons that can be brushed aside. If Bobby were to make such an announcement soon, whatever happens this season (and in retrospect the last 5 years)gets glossed over. A 6-6 record? Oh well, but at least he knew when to leave. Tributes, farewells and tears will flow his way for all that he's done not just for Florida State but for all of college football.

Retirement will not be as boring as he thinks. He has a loving wife, 20+ grandkids, speaking engagements out the wazoo and plenty of golf to play. Mark Richt, Tommy Bowden and Chuck Amato will buzz his phone every week for advice and insight.

Bobby, we love ya, but it's time to hand over the keys. Thank you for all you've done.

Time gets the best of everyone

Media Whinefest 2006: Florida State-Miami

What is the deal with the media horde panning the FSU-Miami game these last two seasons? Outside of the obvious - atrocious offensive line play on both sides - the game was not the horrid affair you are led to believe. Yes, both rushing attacks ker-flopped; see OL comment above. Both QBs were at 50% or above pass completions. There were just two turnovers all night. There were 15 penalties in total - not great, but less than in the Notre Dame-Georgia Tech skirmish, and I have yet to find an article or column bemoaning that game as a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Sorry fourth-estate-elitists, but FSU and Miami don't owe you a pristine football game. The last two years have seen that game come down to the very end, and now all of a sudden the contest itself sucks. And is it just me, but when Miami was winning ugly, defensive football games against FSU (see 2004, 2004 Orange Bowl, 2003, 1992, 1991) it was perfectly alright and the Canes "just found a way"? But now that FSU has found ways to pull out close wins against Miami, all of a sudden the games themselves are abominations, with nary a comment on how, gee, the Seminoles actually found a way to win and that at the end of the day, that's what flippin' matters.

Sheesh. Anyway, the list of the most prominent unhappy customers. Sorry fellas, you can't those 4 hours of your life back.

ESPN's Maisel
Sportsline's Dodd
SI's Mandel

BCS "Blunders"

The good folks over at CollegeFootballNews.com have a weekly section imaginatively titled "Ask CFN", and this week one of the reader-submitted questions was an inquiry into the worst BCS blunders since the inception of the BCS. The Nebraska travesty of 2001 and the Oklahoma fiasco of 2003 were correctly noted, but then talk veered into more questionable "blunders" such as Florida State over Ohio State in 1998 for the Fiesta Bowl bid, and Florida State over Miami in 2000 for the right to get blasted by Oklahoma.

DISCLAIMER: This blogger graduated from Florida State University in 1995, bleeds Garnet and Gold, thinks the War Chant belongs in public schools just after the Pledge of Allegiance, and so on and so forth. So feel free to question my reasoning, but not the facts outlined below.

Any debate between Florida State and Ohio State for the '98 Fiesta Bowl bid is almost a non-starter. The Seminoles deserved the bid. FSU lost to 7-5 NC State in early September, and then rolled through the remainder of their schedule, with the closest game a 23-12 win over #4 Florida (with Marcus Outzen at QB in place of the injured Chris Weinke). Furthermore, FSU had beaten 4 other teams listed in the final Top 15 BCS poll (Texas A&M, Florida, Virginia, Georgia Tech). Additionally, the Noles had beaten the two teams who made the whole "debate" possible: Miami, who knocked off 10-0 UCLA, and Texas A&M, who upset 11-0 Kansas State on that incredible December Saturday.

Ohio State certainly played well throughout the '98 season, in fact rising to #1 in late October. However, a Michigan State team that would finish 6-6 and bowl-less came into Columbus in early November and walked out with a win. The Buckeyes didn't even play anyone ranked in the final BCS poll. Debate over, thanks for playing Bucks, your parting gift was suffering through just 2 more years of the John Cooper era.

The 2000 debate gets a little stickier. The most disengenous portion of most '00 arguments is that it boils down to just Florida State and Miami, and leaves out Washington and (to a lesser extent) Virginia Tech and Oregon State. Let's take a little trip back to the final BCS poll of the 2000 regular season and see what a mess we had:

Final BCS poll - Dec. 4, 2000
1- Oklahoma (12-0)
2- Florida State (11-1)
3- Miami (10-1)
4- Washington (10-1)
5- Virginia Tech (10-1)
6- Oregon State (10-1)
7- Florida (10-2)
8- Nebraska (9-2)
9- Kansas State (10-3)
10- Oregon (9-2)
11- Notre Dame (9-2)
12- Texas (8-3)
13- Georgia Tech (9-2)
14- TCU (10-1)
15- Clemson (9-2)

So, we had one clear-cut undefeated team and 5 one-loss teams. Having 5 one-loss teams in and of itself is messy enough, but considering the fact that each of those 5 squads played at least one of the other 5 one-loss teams, and you get another brand of insanity altogether. Breaking down the games between each one-loss squad, this is what we get:

-Florida State (0-1): lost at Miami 27-24
-Miami (2-1): lost at Washington 34-29, beat Florida State 27-24, beat Virginia Tech 41-21
-Washington (2-0): beat Miami 34-29, beat Oregon State 33-30
-Virginia Tech (0-1): lost at Miami 41-21
-Oregon State (0-1): lost at Washington 33-30

For the remaining schedules, the breakdown goes as follows (remaining overall record, then other losses and/or notable wins):

-Florida State (11-0): beat #7 Florida 30-7, beat #13 Georgia Tech 26-21, beat #15 Clemson 54-7
-Miami (8-0): no other victories over BCS ranked teams
-Washington (8-1): lost at #10 Oregon 23-16; no other victories over BCS ranked teams
-Virginia Tech (10-0): no other victories over BCS ranked teams
-Oregon State (10-0): beat #10 Oregon 23-13

After reviewing the two categories above, it seems an obvious call to drop Virginia Tech from consideration. I would also drop Oregon State from consideration, due to the fact that they went 0-1 vs. the other 4 teams and played just one other ranked BCS team, albeit a victory.

So that leaves us with Florida State, Miami, and Washington. Miami played 3 of the other 4 one-loss teams and went 2-1; very impressive. But they didn't play anyone else of consequence after that. Florida State played just one of the other 4, and lost; not so great. But they beat 3 other BCS ranked teams, two of which were blowout wins; very impressive. Washington played two of the other 4 one-loss clubs and won both; most impressive. But they played just one other BCS-ranked team and lost; not so good.

So who should've gone? Well....not Miami. Of the "Big Three" one-loss teams, the team that gets the most sympathy in all the arguments - the Hurricanes - seem the least deserving of the three. Florida State played a better overall schedule and demolished much of that competition; Washington beat Miami head-to-head. Either way, Miami comes up short. They lose the overall schedule and margin-of-victory argument to FSU, and they lose the head-to-head argument to Washington. So explain to me why the Canes get all the love in these debates?

As for Oklahoma's opponent in that Orange Bowl? It probably should've been Washington. But maybe not.