Colleges

Patience and Perspective

Bobby brushes up on big picture; Tommy brushes off critics.

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published September 3, 2007

CLEMSON, S.C. - Bobby Bowden is a fan of history. He likes to learn it, and learn from it.

So, when it comes to critical season-opening games, the Florida State coach references one from 1972 when Arkansas coach Frank Broyles figured his No. 4-ranked Razorbacks could launch a title run against visiting No. 8 Southern California.

Yeah, not so much.

USC won 31-10.

"So he comes back and changes his whole offense and his whole defense," Bowden said. "Then they lose four more. Southern Cal ends up winning the national championship. He didn't know it at the time, but he'd just played the best team in the country. He always told that story; 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket."'

It's a mantra Bowden is repeating often as his No. 19 Seminoles open tonight at Clemson, a team coached by son Tommy that has won two straight and three of the past four "Bowden Bowls."

Sure it's a big game on national television. Sure it's an ACC Atlantic Division matchup that could lead to a berth in the league title game. Sure it's important for FSU's revamped offensive staff to live up to its hype and successfully enliven what has been a struggling unit the past few years. Sure it's a game that can, for a time, take some heat off Tommy and, to a lesser degree, off his 77-year-old father after 8-5 and 7-6 seasons.

But it's surely not the end-all, be-all.

"It sure would mean a lot if you can win it, there's no doubt," Bobby Bowden said. "For both of us. But still, you've got a game the next week. It doesn't determine how your season's going to turn out; we've found that out."

The Seminoles are no strangers to the Labor Day time slot, having opened against Miami each of the past two seasons. (The threat of a hurricane forced a postponement in 2004.)

FSU won both.

History tells us what happened next: FSU, especially on offense, didn't seem to get much of a bounce.

"They were such sloppy games," FSU redshirt junior quarterback Drew Weatherford said. "We weren't happy with how we played (offensively), so I don't think that game (the past two years) built a lot of confidence."

The Seminoles might not admit it, but the offense could use a stylish win to validate the changes in attitude and aptitude instilled by new coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jimbo Fisher, line coach Rick Trickett, receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey and running backs coach Dexter Carter.

It's the reason there's so much optimism in Tallahassee.

Still, Bowden said, "There are definitely question marks as we go into the season. Our coaches have come in, they've coached their style, that's what I hired them for, to coach their style, by doing that that means there's some changes. Some guys who started last year aren't going to be starting this year. We're going to be playing a freshman here instead of a junior here. The main thing is we're heading in the right direction. I think we'll get there. I just don't know when."

This game could give him an idea about that timetable.

For his son, the game might give him an idea of how much time he has left in Clemson. For what seems like the umpteenth time, he appears to be on the hot seat. Heck, he calls it a "national topic."

Tommy's Tigers haven't won an ACC title and fans are still smarting over their 2006 finish; 1-4, including a loss to Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

"I've been here nine years and every third year I seem to be on the hot seat," he said. "It goes in cycles. I lived in West Virginia and it's kind of like the 17-year locusts. You know it's coming, so just be ready for it."

For all the apparent unrest, the goal of $27-million for the initial phase of a facility facelift has been reached and the school has set a record for season-ticket sales with 57,991.

"I've got the most people in the history of Clemson who don't like me," he deadpanned, adding more seriously that most folks recognize that his team has improved its talent level and is close to winning a league title.

A win against his father's team might just increase the numbers who recognize that.

Again, history might teach us otherwise.

"We had one last year and we didn't win the conference championship," Tommy said. "We had one the year before and didn't win the conference championship. It's important you keep it in context. We won it last year and folded at the end. It increases the importance of game No. 2, and game No. 1 is awfully big, but it's surely not the end of the season."

Brian Landman can be reached at landman@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3347. Read his blog at blogs.tampabay.com/Seminoles.

[Last modified September 2, 2007, 22:40:32]