Over the last two weeks, two of college football’s traditional powers, Georgia and Florida State, have experienced meltdown mode in its fullest. In Tallahassee, thanks largely to the public criticism of FSU Board of Trustees chair Jim Smith, legendary head football coach Bobby Bowden is being aggressively lobbied to vacate his post, one he has manned for the last 33 years. Bowden, the second-winningest coach in college football history, is now 79 years old and has led his team to only one double-digit win season since 2000, losing at least three games in each of the eight years. Still, Bowden built the FSU program from the ground up, taking it from irrelevance and obscurity to national prominence and championship contention on a yearly basis. With that said, the public ridicule directed towards Bowden of late has been absolutely absurd, as the man, at the very least, deserved an opportunity to step down graciously at season’s end. Well, unfortunately, it’s too late for that.
Still, as disgusted as I am by the way the aging coach has been treated, it’s not entirely the fault of the school or its followers. After all, if Bowden wanted to do what was best for the program, he would have walked away something like nine years ago. Want proof? Between 1992 and 2000, the Seminoles’ coach was 71-2 against ACC opponents. He is, however, 0-3 against the same competition this year and hasn’t captured a conference crown since 2003. So, what’s my final conclusion you ask? It’s time for the great coach to go, but, in departing, Bowden deserves nothing but absolute respect and admiration from all those associated with the game of college football.
As for Georgia’s state of panic, I think it’s clear significant changes along the sidelines need to be made. Both Tennessee and Georgia were coming off losses last week and each team needed a victory over the other equally as much. For that reason, I predicted the better program with the better coach and better talent would prevail. I just didn’t realize that team would be Tennessee; it had been horribly unimpressive all year and possessed the league’s most inept offense. Yet, somewhat surprisingly I’m sure, I’m most convinced change in Athens is necessary by factors beyond Georgia’s 2009 struggles and God-awful defense. Personally, I believe the Bulldogs’ 2007 and 2008 campaigns were more disappointing and most telling. The fact is, those teams had Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and other top talent. And, if the current coaching staff couldn’t get those teams to Atlanta, what makes anyone think it can do so with any other?
IN OTHER FOOTBALL NEWS …
I’m just happy the idea of moving 2011’s Georgia-Georgia Tech game to the Dome was rejected by UGA athletic director Damon Evans (pictured). To the unbiased Atlanta spectator, the idea couldn’t have been any less appealing. Simply put, we get to see the in-state rivals duke it out on a yearly basis weather they play in the Dome or not. Why, then, deprive college football fans of a great game (Alabama-Virginia Tech this year) they otherwise would have no chance to experience just to feature a game that is going to take place either way? It just makes no sense.
For football purists, the last week should have been a memorable one. First, Tim Tebow rebounded from the world’s most-talked-about concussion to lead his Gators to victory over LSU last Saturday. Now, I know concussions are commonplace in football and many have returned just as quickly from similar injuries. Still, I firmly believe few, if any, quarterbacks with the pressure and public scrutiny Tebow faces would have returned under the same conditions. Oh, and did I mention the victory he led his team to was the first notched by an opponent in 33 Saturday night contests in Baton Rouge?
On a similar note, Giants quarterback Eli Manning fought through injury (plantar fasciitis) against Oakland last Sunday to make his 83rd consecutive start. In just over five seasons, Eli has yet to miss a single game, which is quite an accomplishment. What makes this feat even more impressive, however, is that his father, Archie, missed only two starts over a nine-year span while his older brother, Peyton, hasn’t missed a single game in his more than 11 years of professional ball and currently holds the longest active streak of consecutive starts, appearing in 181 games in a row. Can you say resilient genetics?
Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
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