Ahead of schedule: The building of strength, confidence, experience
By Charlie Barnes, Executive Director - Seminole Boosters
Einstein said the universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it’s stranger than we can imagine. Now, in late summer comes the discovery of some sort of streaming cosmic flow in distant space. Clusters of galaxies each containing billions of stars are being pulled along in a uniform direction at two million miles per hour by some unknown dark force apparently located outside the observable universe.
Wow.
One bewildered astrophysicist said, “We’re wondering just what the hell is going on in our universe.”
The quote made me smile because I’ve been hearing versions of that very sentiment from fellow Seminole football fans: “Gosh, what the heck is going on in our Seminole universe?” (or words more or less to that effect).
Early on, we lost to Wake Forest who then promptly lost to Navy. The next week we beat Colorado who was undefeated. More than any other season I can recall, this 2008 rollercoaster defies all attempts to predict.
After the victory over Colorado, Coach Bowden said, “I’ve been doing this enough to know what 3-1 can turn into. It can turn into something good, and it can turn into something that isn’t as good.” And right now, no one has a clue which way it’s going to go.
These words are being written in September, following the victory over Colorado and before we fly to Miami for our annual battle with the ’Canes. By the time you read this in November the fate of this 2008 Seminole football season will have revealed itself in full.
One sportswriter confided he was afraid that Coach Bowden and Jimbo Fisher were “sacrificing the ’08 season to prepare for ’09.” I don’t know if that’s true, but if that’s what it takes then I do not disapprove. Bold action was required when the post-Dynasty era bottomed out in 2006. Dramatic and decisive changes had to be made to turn the program around. Through the Seminole Boosters, our fans gave Coach Bowden money to hire a top offensive staff of proven, professional position coaches. He completely overhauled the recruiting and strength programs.
We do have something to compare as far as the time required for recovery. In 1983 the program fell into doldrums similar to 2006. Most of the problems were on the defensive side of the ball. After the season, Coach Bowden brought in Mickey Andrews, and completely modernized the recruiting program under the direction of Gene McDowell.
Top recruits began flowing into the program and Coach Andrews worked his magic on the defense. The rebuilding took three rough years, but in 1987...oh my! The Seminoles finished #2 in the nation and won our first New Year’s Day bowl with a win over Nebraska in the Fiesta. You already know the rest of the story: fourteen consecutive years of Top Four finishes and 10+ win seasons, and two National Championships.
If the 1983 model is our guide, it would take four years for us to return to championship form. However, I think we’re considerably ahead of that schedule. Two years after 2006 we’re still in unknown territory, but the coaches are building bench strength with true freshmen and buying time for confidence and experience to take hold.
 Head Coach Bobby Bowden |
 Offensive Coordinator Jimbo Fisher |
 Defensive Coordinator Mickey Andrews |
That sportswriter may be right: it may be that Coach Bowden and Jimbo and Mickey have determined that 2009 is the target season. There’s too much at stake to linger along the path of our return to glory. The Dynasty made all of us less patient, less tolerant of the cycles that confront all programs. All of us — fans, coaches and players — want it now. And if it is not this year, then we want assurance that it will come in 2009.
When astrophysicists theorize about the expansion and contraction of the universe, they talk about the direction of time. I don’t understand the math but it appears to be of great comfort to the scientists that time, at least above the quantum level, only moves in one direction.
Let us fans take comfort too in knowing that our arrow of time is moving in the direction we want to go. Since the arrival of the new offensive coaching staff, the Seminoles improved dramatically in terms of coaching talent, strength & conditioning, and recruiting. Two 7-5 seasons and our disheartening loss to Wake Forest shouldn’t obscure the reality that we are headed forward rather than backward.
One sidebar here. The Denver newspaper made much of a quote by Coach Bowden to the effect that “I don’t care if we’re mediocre; I’ll just go to the beach.” I wish he didn’t toss out comments like that, but he does, and it’s just a throwaway line to cover his real feelings. Trust me on this. Bobby Bowden is energetic, focused and extraordinarily competitive. Jimbo runs the offense and Mickey runs the defense, but Bobby runs the show. He is in charge and he holds the staff together.
No, we are not what we once were. But I believe we will be great again and soon, and I see glimpses of it in the young quarterbacks and the 22 freshmen who started the first three games.
Take heart. We are meant to be strong again. No matter what surprises — pleasant or otherwise — may have revealed themselves by November, our Seminole football arrow of time will not be diverted. It remains unsullied in its flight toward destiny.