TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Bobby Bowden's coaching legacy built largely with an unprecedented 14-year-run of double-digit wins and Top Five finishes has been tarnished in the new millennium by scandals, some bad coaching hires and just one 10-win season since 2000.
The school ceremonially accepted a bid Monday to play in the Music City Bowl at Nashville a day before it announced that many of its top players couldn't play in the game. They were among some two dozen players who won't travel to the bowl because they may have cheated on a test earlier in the school year.
``Naturally we're having to make a lot of adjustments,'' Bowden said. ``We've got some guys who will be playing positions they haven't played before.''
It's not the first time the Seminoles have lost marquee players because of academic issues, but certainly the most significant.
All American receiver Snoop Minnis didn't play in the 2000 national championship game loss to Oklahoma and quarterback Chris Rix was suspended a couple years later in another loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Running back Amp Lee didn't play in the 1991 Seminoles' Cotton Bowl win over Texas A
Bowden said he didn't know the severity of the latest sanctions until Tuesday and defended his team playing Kentucky with a watered down roster in the Dec. 31 bowl.
``We would if it was OK with the bowl people,'' he said. ``If it's comfortable with the bowl people it's comfortable for me.''
Bowden, whose 373 career wins are two more than Penn State's Joe Paterno atop the major college coaching charts, started trying to put the pieces together Wednesday calling off a scheduled afternoon practice to meet with players.
One big missing part will be at outside linebacker, where one of the team's most talented defenders Dekoda Watson will be staying home.
``You are just trying to help your teammates, keep them enthused,'' he said. ``You still are a leader, you still have to play a role whether you are playing or not.''
Starting offensive tackle Daron Rose was working with the second team Wednesday, leading to speculation he was among the group being penalized.
And while few players were willing to even discuss the sanctions, quarterback Drew Weatherford was optimistic.
``There's a lot of guys who will have opportunities now who haven't had it in the past and they'll get a chance to show what they've got,'' he said.
But at 7-5 and unranked for the third straight year at the end of the regular season, the Seminoles weren't exactly loaded to begin with.
``I think we'll be competitive,'' the 78-year-old coach said. ``Where it hurts you is depth. You've got to stay healthy.''
``Bowden said he wouldn't discuss any of the personnel moves, deferring to university President T.K. Wetherell who is in Montana vacationing during the latest furor.
Bowden said the NCAA has determined the suspensions, which figures to 30 percent or 3.6 games for the athletes being held out Dec. 31 which means many will miss more than 2.5 games in September.
``We'll try to adjust our schedule the best we can,'' said Bowden, who replaced his entire offensive coaching staff a year ago including youngest son Jeff after a handful of seasons with a declining offense.
The school is working on September home games against Tennessee-Chatanooga and Western Carolina.
But first, Kentucky.
Thursday
October 24th, 2024
12:36PM
