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Nope, cause the decision makers are quite happy protecting their position
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College Football Playoff will consider proposal for expanding to 12-team format
The College Football Playoff management committee will consider expanding the current four-team field to a 12-team format when it meets in Chicago next week, marking the first step in what could be another historic change for the sport's postseason.
The proposal does not include guarantees for conference champions. Instead, it calls for the bracket to include the six highest-ranked conference champions, plus the six highest-ranked other teams as determined by the CFP's selection committee. There would be no limit on the number of participants from a conference, and no league would qualify automatically.
"This proposal at its heart was created to provide more participation, for more players and more schools," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. "In a nutshell, that is the working group's message."
The proposal, which was written by a subcommittee comprised of Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick and Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, was presented to the entire group of FBS commissioners Thursday morning.
In addition to providing an opportunity to a larger field and increasing participation, Bowlsby was candid about another issue that factored into the willingness to consider expansion: the sting of being left out.
"We probably underestimated -- 'we' being the A5 commissioners -- how difficult it was to be on the outside looking in on a four-team playoff," Bowlsby said. "I think that was a factor. There was certainly lots of consternation around those of us that were left out at one time or another, so I think that was an element of it."
The 10 FBS commissioners and Swarbrick must agree on a format when they meet next Thursday and Friday to discuss the topic in person for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic. While the four members of the working group spent the past two years researching the possibilities to ultimately conclude that 12 teams provide the best opportunity, it's still possible the seven other members of their group might support another format or take issue with the recommendation.
When asked what roadblocks might prevent the commissioners from agreeing on the 12-team proposal next week, American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco told ESPN he thinks "it has a really good chance of developing a consensus."
"I think it's hard to attack it," said Aresco. "I think it's a well-thought-out plan. I really like the equalization concept, that all FBS have a shot. ... I don't think in that sense it has any flaws or weaknesses that would come to mind."
Under the proposal for a 12-team format, the four highest-ranked conference champions would be seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. Teams 5-12 would play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team. The quarterfinals and semifinals would be played in bowl games and the national championship game would remain at a neutral site.
Also under this proposal: Even if Notre Dame is the No. 1 team in the country, it cannot receive a bye or be seeded higher than No. 5. The selection committee's top 25 is different from the seeding because the top four seeds go to the highest-ranked conference champions.
"The practical effect of this will be that with four or five weeks to go in the season, there will be 25 or 30 teams that have a legitimate claim and practical opportunity to participate," Bowlsby said. "That should make for an extraordinarily good October and November."
The first-round games would take place on campus sometime during the two-week period following conference championship games. The quarterfinals would be played on Jan. 1 -- or Jan. 2 when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday -- and on an adjacent day.
This model allows for the possibility of teams competing in 17 games, but Swarbrick said it's "highly unlikely." He pointed out that in order for that to happen, a team seeded No. 5-12 would have to play in a conference championship game, qualify for a first-round game and then run the table.
"The route to get to 17 in this model isn't impossible," Swarbrick said, "but there have been a lot of things built in to make that highly unlikely."
The four members of the working group were made available to reporters on a teleconference Thursday afternoon, and they agreed that many of the same questions posed by reporters would also be raised next weekend by their peers in Chicago.
One of the issues they were pressed on was the lack of a home-field advantage beyond the opening round -- when the top four conference champions would receive byes. As long as the playoff is operating under the current contract, it has to honor its agreements with the New Year's Six Bowls, unless everyone involved in those contracts agrees to change them.
The working group didn't include which bowls might be a part of the CFP in the future, but it did recommend that if "traditional bowls" host games, teams would be assigned to their traditional bowls for quarterfinal games with the priority going to the higher-seeded team.
"I would add I think this model, in conjunction with the bowls, gives college football an opportunity to reassert ownership of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in a really powerful way," Swarbrick said. "That's such an important part of the tradition of college football, and this allows us to reassert that."
"We chose intentionally to honor that," Bowlsby said.
While the dates of the semifinal games and championship game aren't determined, the report stated that the semifinals likely would not be played as a doubleheader. The CFP bracket would follow the selection committee's rankings, with no changes to avoid rematches of teams that might have played during the regular season or are from the same conference.
One of the other quirks of the proposed model is that Notre Dame and other independents can't receive a bye because they don't have the opportunity to win a conference championship. When asked about it on Thursday, Swarbrick said dryly, "I look forward to never hearing again about how we played one less game or don't have a conference championship."
If the group agrees on a model, it will present the plan to the 11 presidents and chancellors who comprise the CFP's board of managers at a meeting in Dallas on June 22. If the board of managers approves the plan, the commissioners and Swarbrick will use the summer to figure out how to implement it -- and when. Another meeting is scheduled for September, and any changes to the format would ultimately be made by the presidents and chancellors.
"It's the first step in a long process that won't end before September," Hancock said.
Hancock has said the playoff will not expand this year or next. The current, 12-year agreement runs through the 2025-26 season. The working group did not include any potential dates for implementation in its recommendation.
"The timing of the implementation will be decided by the presidents later," Hancock said. "There are existing contracts for the 12 years that would have to be reviewed. The management committee has to endorse this, and the presidents have to authorize further research."
The College Football Playoff management committee will consider expanding the current four-team field to a 12-team format when it meets in Chicago next week, marking the first step in what could be another historic change for the sport's postseason.
The proposal does not include guarantees for conference champions. Instead, it calls for the bracket to include the six highest-ranked conference champions, plus the six highest-ranked other teams as determined by the CFP's selection committee. There would be no limit on the number of participants from a conference, and no league would qualify automatically.
"This proposal at its heart was created to provide more participation, for more players and more schools," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. "In a nutshell, that is the working group's message."
The proposal, which was written by a subcommittee comprised of Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick and Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, was presented to the entire group of FBS commissioners Thursday morning.
In addition to providing an opportunity to a larger field and increasing participation, Bowlsby was candid about another issue that factored into the willingness to consider expansion: the sting of being left out.
"We probably underestimated -- 'we' being the A5 commissioners -- how difficult it was to be on the outside looking in on a four-team playoff," Bowlsby said. "I think that was a factor. There was certainly lots of consternation around those of us that were left out at one time or another, so I think that was an element of it."
The 10 FBS commissioners and Swarbrick must agree on a format when they meet next Thursday and Friday to discuss the topic in person for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic. While the four members of the working group spent the past two years researching the possibilities to ultimately conclude that 12 teams provide the best opportunity, it's still possible the seven other members of their group might support another format or take issue with the recommendation.
When asked what roadblocks might prevent the commissioners from agreeing on the 12-team proposal next week, American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco told ESPN he thinks "it has a really good chance of developing a consensus."
"I think it's hard to attack it," said Aresco. "I think it's a well-thought-out plan. I really like the equalization concept, that all FBS have a shot. ... I don't think in that sense it has any flaws or weaknesses that would come to mind."
Under the proposal for a 12-team format, the four highest-ranked conference champions would be seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. Teams 5-12 would play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team. The quarterfinals and semifinals would be played in bowl games and the national championship game would remain at a neutral site.
Also under this proposal: Even if Notre Dame is the No. 1 team in the country, it cannot receive a bye or be seeded higher than No. 5. The selection committee's top 25 is different from the seeding because the top four seeds go to the highest-ranked conference champions.
"The practical effect of this will be that with four or five weeks to go in the season, there will be 25 or 30 teams that have a legitimate claim and practical opportunity to participate," Bowlsby said. "That should make for an extraordinarily good October and November."
The first-round games would take place on campus sometime during the two-week period following conference championship games. The quarterfinals would be played on Jan. 1 -- or Jan. 2 when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday -- and on an adjacent day.
This model allows for the possibility of teams competing in 17 games, but Swarbrick said it's "highly unlikely." He pointed out that in order for that to happen, a team seeded No. 5-12 would have to play in a conference championship game, qualify for a first-round game and then run the table.
"The route to get to 17 in this model isn't impossible," Swarbrick said, "but there have been a lot of things built in to make that highly unlikely."
The four members of the working group were made available to reporters on a teleconference Thursday afternoon, and they agreed that many of the same questions posed by reporters would also be raised next weekend by their peers in Chicago.
One of the issues they were pressed on was the lack of a home-field advantage beyond the opening round -- when the top four conference champions would receive byes. As long as the playoff is operating under the current contract, it has to honor its agreements with the New Year's Six Bowls, unless everyone involved in those contracts agrees to change them.
The working group didn't include which bowls might be a part of the CFP in the future, but it did recommend that if "traditional bowls" host games, teams would be assigned to their traditional bowls for quarterfinal games with the priority going to the higher-seeded team.
"I would add I think this model, in conjunction with the bowls, gives college football an opportunity to reassert ownership of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in a really powerful way," Swarbrick said. "That's such an important part of the tradition of college football, and this allows us to reassert that."
"We chose intentionally to honor that," Bowlsby said.
While the dates of the semifinal games and championship game aren't determined, the report stated that the semifinals likely would not be played as a doubleheader. The CFP bracket would follow the selection committee's rankings, with no changes to avoid rematches of teams that might have played during the regular season or are from the same conference.
One of the other quirks of the proposed model is that Notre Dame and other independents can't receive a bye because they don't have the opportunity to win a conference championship. When asked about it on Thursday, Swarbrick said dryly, "I look forward to never hearing again about how we played one less game or don't have a conference championship."
If the group agrees on a model, it will present the plan to the 11 presidents and chancellors who comprise the CFP's board of managers at a meeting in Dallas on June 22. If the board of managers approves the plan, the commissioners and Swarbrick will use the summer to figure out how to implement it -- and when. Another meeting is scheduled for September, and any changes to the format would ultimately be made by the presidents and chancellors.
"It's the first step in a long process that won't end before September," Hancock said.
Hancock has said the playoff will not expand this year or next. The current, 12-year agreement runs through the 2025-26 season. The working group did not include any potential dates for implementation in its recommendation.
"The timing of the implementation will be decided by the presidents later," Hancock said. "There are existing contracts for the 12 years that would have to be reviewed. The management committee has to endorse this, and the presidents have to authorize further research."
It's pretty close. So does this mean a conference champ outside the power 5 gets included?
Still a huge advantage for the top 4 with a week off
Still a huge advantage for the top 4 with a week off
What would a 12-team playoff have looked like since 2014? Simulations, storylines and more
Bill Connelly crunches the numbers using SP+ to figure out the most likely scenarios for how a 12-team playoff would have played out since 2014.
Good breakdown of the cfp had they been using the 12 team format since inception.
I'm becoming a fan of the format
Dirty Bird
Pokémon Master
The meeting is today isn't it?What would a 12-team playoff have looked like since 2014? Simulations, storylines and more
Bill Connelly crunches the numbers using SP+ to figure out the most likely scenarios for how a 12-team playoff would have played out since 2014.www.espn.com
Good breakdown of the cfp had they been using the 12 team format since inception.
I'm becoming a fan of the format
Here's hoping
This suggestion of a 12 team playoff is better than I ever expected.
Makes me excited for the rumours of Boise State joining the American Conference.
It would make the American at the very least a defacto AQC and a power6 conference.
I think the rumours I saw was Boise State, San Diego State and Colorado State joining, (but probably only as Football only).
Going to the proposed 12 team format, I could see the American deciding 'if we give them everything they want, we will steal them, and it's a death blow to the only conference that can argue to be our equal.' and give BSU, SDSU and CSU everything and let them bring non-football along.
Thing is, if they are a defacto power6. They could very well have BYU interested. But BYU has quietly built a very good schedule going forward, and the buyouts would be a little worrisome. So maybe they can announce
For the 2022 season - Boise State, San Diego State and Colorado State will join the American
And maybe 2024 season - BYU and UNLV (yes, Fresno State and Nevada are better football programs, but when you're going for a cross country - you want a massive program or a good tv market, Reno and Fresno dont offer either - Vegas offers one, and they also have a traditionally strong basketball program)
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SEC won’t reschedule games because of COVID-19
Posted by Charean Williams on July 19, 2021, 2:58 PM EDT
Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin made the connection between COVID vaccinations and victories in 2021. The Southeastern Conference has made it even more obvious.
Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Monday in kicking off the SEC’s media days that the league will not postpone any games this season due to COVID-19. Instead, Sankey said teams are “expected to play as scheduled.”
He has recommended the SEC remove the 53-player roster minimum that was put in place last year. So every SEC team will be on the hook to play every game as scheduled with however many players they have available.
In other words, the SEC is telling its 14 teams to get players vaccinated.
“That means your team needs to be healthy to compete, and if not, that game won’t be rescheduled,” Sankey said, via Alex Scarborough of ESPN. “And thus, to dispose of the game, the ‘forfeit’ word comes up at this point.”
Sankey said only six teams have reached an 80 percent vaccination threshold.
“That number needs to grow and grow rapidly,” Sankey said. “We have learned how to manage through a COVID environment, but we do not yet have control of a COVID environment.”
The SEC has an 85 percent COVID-19 vaccination threshold, like the NFL, for teams to avoid regular COVID testing and the requirement of wearing masks indoors.
Posted by Charean Williams on July 19, 2021, 2:58 PM EDT
Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin made the connection between COVID vaccinations and victories in 2021. The Southeastern Conference has made it even more obvious.
Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Monday in kicking off the SEC’s media days that the league will not postpone any games this season due to COVID-19. Instead, Sankey said teams are “expected to play as scheduled.”
He has recommended the SEC remove the 53-player roster minimum that was put in place last year. So every SEC team will be on the hook to play every game as scheduled with however many players they have available.
In other words, the SEC is telling its 14 teams to get players vaccinated.
“That means your team needs to be healthy to compete, and if not, that game won’t be rescheduled,” Sankey said, via Alex Scarborough of ESPN. “And thus, to dispose of the game, the ‘forfeit’ word comes up at this point.”
Sankey said only six teams have reached an 80 percent vaccination threshold.
“That number needs to grow and grow rapidly,” Sankey said. “We have learned how to manage through a COVID environment, but we do not yet have control of a COVID environment.”
The SEC has an 85 percent COVID-19 vaccination threshold, like the NFL, for teams to avoid regular COVID testing and the requirement of wearing masks indoors.
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Top high school QB Quinn Ewers may skip senior year, start getting NIL money now
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 28, 2021, 4:34 PM EDT
In another sign that the NCAA allowing players to cash in on their names, images and likenesses will change the sport of football, the top high school quarterback in the country is considering leaving high school now rather than playing his senior season so that he can start making NIL money immediately.
Quinn Ewers, who is widely viewed as the best high school quarterback in the country, may not play his senior season at Southlake Carroll in suburban Dallas. Instead, he may go directly to Ohio State, where he can start making NIL money now. If he stayed in high school in Texas, the state’s rules would prevent him, as a high school athlete, from accepting any NIL money.
“I don’t really know, I don’t have a final decision made quite yet,” Ewers told Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. “I’m leaning toward leaving and going up to Ohio, just so I don’t have to deal with [Texas state regulation] stuff and can get comfortable with Ohio and Columbus and start to learn.”
Ewers only has to complete one more class to fulfill his high school graduation requirements, and he can take that class online. He could then enroll immediately at Ohio State and be eligible to play in the 2021 season. He had been planning to play in high school in 2021 and begin college in 2022, but the NIL money is tempting him to leave now.
“If I enroll at Ohio State, obviously I’d be able to make money off the deals, and I feel like it’d be a big advantage of learning the playbook and getting comfortable with the campus and all my teammates. But if I stay and don’t get paid, I may be able to win a state title,” Ewers said.
Enrolling at Ohio State this year would provide Ewers with another advantage: He could enter the NFL a year earlier. NFL rules require a player to be three years out of high school before he can enter the NFL draft. If Ewers goes to Ohio State this year, he would have the opportunity to turn pro as soon as the 2024 NFL draft. If he waits to go to Ohio State until next year, he couldn’t be drafted until 2025 at the earliest.
Ewers is the first high-profile player to consider a significant change to his career trajectory because of name, image and likeness opportunities. He surely won’t be the last.
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 28, 2021, 4:34 PM EDT
In another sign that the NCAA allowing players to cash in on their names, images and likenesses will change the sport of football, the top high school quarterback in the country is considering leaving high school now rather than playing his senior season so that he can start making NIL money immediately.
Quinn Ewers, who is widely viewed as the best high school quarterback in the country, may not play his senior season at Southlake Carroll in suburban Dallas. Instead, he may go directly to Ohio State, where he can start making NIL money now. If he stayed in high school in Texas, the state’s rules would prevent him, as a high school athlete, from accepting any NIL money.
“I don’t really know, I don’t have a final decision made quite yet,” Ewers told Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. “I’m leaning toward leaving and going up to Ohio, just so I don’t have to deal with [Texas state regulation] stuff and can get comfortable with Ohio and Columbus and start to learn.”
Ewers only has to complete one more class to fulfill his high school graduation requirements, and he can take that class online. He could then enroll immediately at Ohio State and be eligible to play in the 2021 season. He had been planning to play in high school in 2021 and begin college in 2022, but the NIL money is tempting him to leave now.
“If I enroll at Ohio State, obviously I’d be able to make money off the deals, and I feel like it’d be a big advantage of learning the playbook and getting comfortable with the campus and all my teammates. But if I stay and don’t get paid, I may be able to win a state title,” Ewers said.
Enrolling at Ohio State this year would provide Ewers with another advantage: He could enter the NFL a year earlier. NFL rules require a player to be three years out of high school before he can enter the NFL draft. If Ewers goes to Ohio State this year, he would have the opportunity to turn pro as soon as the 2024 NFL draft. If he waits to go to Ohio State until next year, he couldn’t be drafted until 2025 at the earliest.
Ewers is the first high-profile player to consider a significant change to his career trajectory because of name, image and likeness opportunities. He surely won’t be the last.
That's an unexpected quirk of the NIL outcome, High Schools are going to be pissed! All that under the table money could now be legit
aussiedude
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NIL was always going to lead to this s**t. like most schools will have offers for the kid by now. a senior season wont change it if he was already a top ranked player.
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Top high school QB Quinn Ewers heads to Ohio State to make endorsement money immediately
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 2, 2021, 1:08 PM EDT
Quinn Ewers, who was viewed by many as America’s best high school football player and had been heading into his senior season at Southlake Carroll in suburban Dallas, has decided to head to Ohio State immediately.
Ewers wrote on Twitter that the opportunity to make money at Ohio State now that the NCAA allows players to earn endorsement deals was too good to pass up. Texas high school athletics rules prohibit high school players from making endorsement money.
“I’ve taken time to think about what lies ahead of me, both in the short- and long-term,” Ewers wrote. “It’s unfortunate I’ve found myself in this situation, as my preference would have been to complete my senior season at Southlake Carroll along with the teammates and friends I’ve taken the field alongside for the past three years. However, following conversations with my family and those I know have my best interests in mind, I’ve decided it’s time for me to enroll at Ohio State and begin my career as a Buckeye.”
Ewers has enough high school credits that he needed only to take one additional class online to graduate and enroll as a freshman at Ohio State. He’ll be eligible to play in 2021 as a Buckeye, and eligible for the NFL draft in 2024.
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 2, 2021, 1:08 PM EDT
Quinn Ewers, who was viewed by many as America’s best high school football player and had been heading into his senior season at Southlake Carroll in suburban Dallas, has decided to head to Ohio State immediately.
Ewers wrote on Twitter that the opportunity to make money at Ohio State now that the NCAA allows players to earn endorsement deals was too good to pass up. Texas high school athletics rules prohibit high school players from making endorsement money.
“I’ve taken time to think about what lies ahead of me, both in the short- and long-term,” Ewers wrote. “It’s unfortunate I’ve found myself in this situation, as my preference would have been to complete my senior season at Southlake Carroll along with the teammates and friends I’ve taken the field alongside for the past three years. However, following conversations with my family and those I know have my best interests in mind, I’ve decided it’s time for me to enroll at Ohio State and begin my career as a Buckeye.”
Ewers has enough high school credits that he needed only to take one additional class online to graduate and enroll as a freshman at Ohio State. He’ll be eligible to play in 2021 as a Buckeye, and eligible for the NFL draft in 2024.
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With irresistible charm, Bobby Bowden transformed Florida State into an NFL factory
Aug 08, 2021 at 08:00 AM
Chase Goodbread
College football lost one of its most legendary coaches on Sunday when Bobby Bowden died at the age of 91, succumbing to a terminal illness he publicly revealed in July. While Bowden didn't disclose his condition at the time, his son, Terry, said shortly thereafter that the College Football Hall of Famer had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
"I've always tried to serve God's purpose for my life, on and off the field, and I am prepared for what is to come," Bobby Bowden told the Tallahassee Democrat on July 21. "My wife, Ann, and our family have been life's greatest blessing. I am at peace."
Born Robert Cleckler Bowden on Nov. 8, 1929, the Birmingham, Alabama, native rose to prominence as coach at Florida State from 1976 through 2009, winning national championships in 1993 and '99. The collective impact his players had on the NFL was immense. He coached three eventual Pro Football Hall of Famers (Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Deion Sanders), plus a 2021 HOF finalist in LeRoy Butler. FSU produced 31 first-round draft picks under Bowden, including Warrick Dunn, Terrell Buckley, Antonio Cromartie and Sebastian Janikowski. He coached an NFL general manager (Martin Mayhew), an NFL coach (Jets assistant Leon Washington), a Super Bowl-winning quarterback (Brad Johnson) and a long line of Pro Bowlers, including Marion Butts, Peter Boulware, Samari Rolle, Tra Thomas, Corey Simon, Chris Hope, Darnell Dockett and Anquan Boldin.
Known for graciousness, class and affability, Bowden parlayed his fatherly, down-to-earth demeanor into close relationships with coaches, recruits, players, administrators and media alike. He was a disarming storyteller with all the charm of a salesman, but none of the phoniness. He was also a hard-driving coach, to be sure, but one who met heart-wrenching losses with immediate perspective, and swapped in his favorite pejorative -- "Dadgum!" -- in place of any cursing. He and his wife, Ann, were married for 72 years. Three of their six children went into the coaching profession: Tommy, a 10-year head coach at Clemson; Terry, who led an undefeated Auburn team in 1993 and currently coaches at Louisiana-Monroe; and Jeff, who was an assistant coach at six schools, including offensive coordinator at FSU under his father.
Bowden was a college head coach for 44 years: four at Howard College (now known as Samford University), six at West Virginia from 1970-75, then 34 at Florida State. Bowden never coached in the NFL, even as an assistant, but once acknowledged being courted by the Atlanta Falcons.
While his two national championships came during Florida State's membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Bowden built the program into a national power without the help of conference membership. Long before FSU joined the ACC in 1992, the Seminoles were among college football's top teams as an independent. Bowden took over a downtrodden Seminoles program in 1976 that had gone 4-29 over the three prior seasons. The Seminoles went 5-6 in Bowden's first year, marking the only losing season of his 34-year tenure in Tallahassee. Bowden reached back-to-back Orange Bowls in the 1979 and 1980 seasons, his fourth and fifth at FSU.
Bowden sought to build the Seminoles' national profile by scheduling a heavy share of top-ranked opponents, knowing those games would give his program the recruiting advantage of network television exposure. Some of those opponents wouldn't sign a traditional, two-year, home-and-home contract with FSU, however, so Bowden agreed to play certain road games without a return home game. Never was his willingness to do so more obvious than in 1981, when the Seminoles played five consecutive road games against Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame, a Dan Marino-led Pitt team and LSU, winning three of them. The 'Noles finished that season with another road game at archrival Florida. In the 1980s, Bowden combined traditional football concepts with a heavy dose of trick plays, including reverses to WR Jessie "The Jet" Hester and the fabled Puntrooskie against Clemson in 1988. Until Deion came along as an electrifying punt returner, Bowden's Seminoles also were known for aggressively rushing opposing punters for blocks instead of setting up returns. A year before Sanders' arrival, the 1984 Seminoles blocked eight punts, returning six for touchdowns.
In time, Bowden was recruiting on a level with rivals Florida and Miami in the Sunshine State, a hotbed for prep talent. He quickly established strong recruiting footholds in South Georgia, the Carolinas, Louisiana and Texas. Then, over three recruiting classes from 1995 through '97, Bowden signed prep All-American QB Dan Kendra from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, LB Tommy Polley from Baltimore and QB Chris Weinke, from Saint Paul, Minnesota. With that, he'd taken the FSU football brand to a national level and could make his way into virtually any living room in the country.
Florida State joined the ACC in 1992, and the Seminoles dominated from the start. Bowden's teams won their first 29 ACC games until a stunning upset at Virginia in 1995, and nine consecutive ACC titles from 1992 through 2000 until Maryland took the league title in 2001. Bowden would go on to win 12 ACC titles and compile a record 14 consecutive top-five finishes in the Associated Press poll from 1987 through 2000.
Bowden's first national title, in 1993, came with some controversy. After dispatching Nebraska 18-16 in the Orange Bowl, a 12-1 FSU team was voted No. 1 despite a head-to-head loss to an 11-1 Notre Dame team that finished ranked No. 2. Bowden's 1999 national championship team left no doubt, going wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in the country and finishing with a resounding 46-29 win over Michael Vick-led Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. In Bowden's later years on the sideline, the Seminoles' performance slipped, and he was essentially forced out of the job following a 7-6 season in 2009.
He finished his coaching career with a 377-129-4 record, including a 304-97-4 mark at FSU. (Twelve wins from 2006 and '07 were vacated by the NCAA as punishment for an academic fraud scandal.)
Bowden, a graduate of Woodlawn High in Birmingham, played quarterback at Alabama. He then transferred to Howard College (now Samford University) following his marriage to Ann, and graduated in 1953. He first arrived at FSU as an assistant coach under Bill Peterson in 1963, coaching wide receivers for three seasons before being hired as Jim Carlen's offensive coordinator at West Virginia.
A devout Baptist, Bowden published the memoir "Called to Coach: Reflections on Life, Faith, and Football" in 2011. The FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) began presenting the Bobby Bowden Award in 2003 to an FBS player each year, with a criteria that includes academics and community involvement along with on-field play. Nicknamed "Saint Bobby," Bowden would often give sermons at various churches on Sundays, even during the season, and traveled extensively in retirement to speak on his faith.
He and his wife lived in the same house from their arrival in Tallahassee in 1976 until his death. Ever the people's coach, he never had his address and phone number pulled from the Tallahassee phone book.
"I remember him saying to us players to be approachable to the fans, don't big-time the fans," LeRoy Butler told the Florida Times-Union. "He said, 'Say hello, sit around and let them tell you their favorite FSU stories.' When you think about it, that's how he was with people, too."
Aug 08, 2021 at 08:00 AM
Chase Goodbread
College football lost one of its most legendary coaches on Sunday when Bobby Bowden died at the age of 91, succumbing to a terminal illness he publicly revealed in July. While Bowden didn't disclose his condition at the time, his son, Terry, said shortly thereafter that the College Football Hall of Famer had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
"I've always tried to serve God's purpose for my life, on and off the field, and I am prepared for what is to come," Bobby Bowden told the Tallahassee Democrat on July 21. "My wife, Ann, and our family have been life's greatest blessing. I am at peace."
Born Robert Cleckler Bowden on Nov. 8, 1929, the Birmingham, Alabama, native rose to prominence as coach at Florida State from 1976 through 2009, winning national championships in 1993 and '99. The collective impact his players had on the NFL was immense. He coached three eventual Pro Football Hall of Famers (Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Deion Sanders), plus a 2021 HOF finalist in LeRoy Butler. FSU produced 31 first-round draft picks under Bowden, including Warrick Dunn, Terrell Buckley, Antonio Cromartie and Sebastian Janikowski. He coached an NFL general manager (Martin Mayhew), an NFL coach (Jets assistant Leon Washington), a Super Bowl-winning quarterback (Brad Johnson) and a long line of Pro Bowlers, including Marion Butts, Peter Boulware, Samari Rolle, Tra Thomas, Corey Simon, Chris Hope, Darnell Dockett and Anquan Boldin.
Known for graciousness, class and affability, Bowden parlayed his fatherly, down-to-earth demeanor into close relationships with coaches, recruits, players, administrators and media alike. He was a disarming storyteller with all the charm of a salesman, but none of the phoniness. He was also a hard-driving coach, to be sure, but one who met heart-wrenching losses with immediate perspective, and swapped in his favorite pejorative -- "Dadgum!" -- in place of any cursing. He and his wife, Ann, were married for 72 years. Three of their six children went into the coaching profession: Tommy, a 10-year head coach at Clemson; Terry, who led an undefeated Auburn team in 1993 and currently coaches at Louisiana-Monroe; and Jeff, who was an assistant coach at six schools, including offensive coordinator at FSU under his father.
Bowden was a college head coach for 44 years: four at Howard College (now known as Samford University), six at West Virginia from 1970-75, then 34 at Florida State. Bowden never coached in the NFL, even as an assistant, but once acknowledged being courted by the Atlanta Falcons.
While his two national championships came during Florida State's membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Bowden built the program into a national power without the help of conference membership. Long before FSU joined the ACC in 1992, the Seminoles were among college football's top teams as an independent. Bowden took over a downtrodden Seminoles program in 1976 that had gone 4-29 over the three prior seasons. The Seminoles went 5-6 in Bowden's first year, marking the only losing season of his 34-year tenure in Tallahassee. Bowden reached back-to-back Orange Bowls in the 1979 and 1980 seasons, his fourth and fifth at FSU.
Bowden sought to build the Seminoles' national profile by scheduling a heavy share of top-ranked opponents, knowing those games would give his program the recruiting advantage of network television exposure. Some of those opponents wouldn't sign a traditional, two-year, home-and-home contract with FSU, however, so Bowden agreed to play certain road games without a return home game. Never was his willingness to do so more obvious than in 1981, when the Seminoles played five consecutive road games against Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame, a Dan Marino-led Pitt team and LSU, winning three of them. The 'Noles finished that season with another road game at archrival Florida. In the 1980s, Bowden combined traditional football concepts with a heavy dose of trick plays, including reverses to WR Jessie "The Jet" Hester and the fabled Puntrooskie against Clemson in 1988. Until Deion came along as an electrifying punt returner, Bowden's Seminoles also were known for aggressively rushing opposing punters for blocks instead of setting up returns. A year before Sanders' arrival, the 1984 Seminoles blocked eight punts, returning six for touchdowns.
In time, Bowden was recruiting on a level with rivals Florida and Miami in the Sunshine State, a hotbed for prep talent. He quickly established strong recruiting footholds in South Georgia, the Carolinas, Louisiana and Texas. Then, over three recruiting classes from 1995 through '97, Bowden signed prep All-American QB Dan Kendra from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, LB Tommy Polley from Baltimore and QB Chris Weinke, from Saint Paul, Minnesota. With that, he'd taken the FSU football brand to a national level and could make his way into virtually any living room in the country.
Florida State joined the ACC in 1992, and the Seminoles dominated from the start. Bowden's teams won their first 29 ACC games until a stunning upset at Virginia in 1995, and nine consecutive ACC titles from 1992 through 2000 until Maryland took the league title in 2001. Bowden would go on to win 12 ACC titles and compile a record 14 consecutive top-five finishes in the Associated Press poll from 1987 through 2000.
Bowden's first national title, in 1993, came with some controversy. After dispatching Nebraska 18-16 in the Orange Bowl, a 12-1 FSU team was voted No. 1 despite a head-to-head loss to an 11-1 Notre Dame team that finished ranked No. 2. Bowden's 1999 national championship team left no doubt, going wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in the country and finishing with a resounding 46-29 win over Michael Vick-led Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. In Bowden's later years on the sideline, the Seminoles' performance slipped, and he was essentially forced out of the job following a 7-6 season in 2009.
He finished his coaching career with a 377-129-4 record, including a 304-97-4 mark at FSU. (Twelve wins from 2006 and '07 were vacated by the NCAA as punishment for an academic fraud scandal.)
Bowden, a graduate of Woodlawn High in Birmingham, played quarterback at Alabama. He then transferred to Howard College (now Samford University) following his marriage to Ann, and graduated in 1953. He first arrived at FSU as an assistant coach under Bill Peterson in 1963, coaching wide receivers for three seasons before being hired as Jim Carlen's offensive coordinator at West Virginia.
A devout Baptist, Bowden published the memoir "Called to Coach: Reflections on Life, Faith, and Football" in 2011. The FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) began presenting the Bobby Bowden Award in 2003 to an FBS player each year, with a criteria that includes academics and community involvement along with on-field play. Nicknamed "Saint Bobby," Bowden would often give sermons at various churches on Sundays, even during the season, and traveled extensively in retirement to speak on his faith.
He and his wife lived in the same house from their arrival in Tallahassee in 1976 until his death. Ever the people's coach, he never had his address and phone number pulled from the Tallahassee phone book.
"I remember him saying to us players to be approachable to the fans, don't big-time the fans," LeRoy Butler told the Florida Times-Union. "He said, 'Say hello, sit around and let them tell you their favorite FSU stories.' When you think about it, that's how he was with people, too."
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I lived in Florida when FSU where a powerhouse and games against Miami and the gators held the entire state of Florida to a standstill.
Bobby was a Demi god in Tallahassee
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