If one Bowden can't go undefeated in college football this season, maybe another can.
Coach Bobby Bowden's hopes for a perfect season ended a week ago at Notre Dame, where the Irish beat Florida State. His son, Terry, is still perfect, though, at 10-0 in his first year at Auburn.The difference is, Pop is still in the national-championship mix and bowl-bound, while the younger Bowden knows that NCAA sanctions for violations committed under a previous administration will keep his Tigers at home after the regular season ends today.
Both Bowdens will be working the sidelines today. No. 2 Florida State (9-1), is home against North Carolina State (7-3), while Auburn, ranked No. 6, tries to complete a perfect season against No. 11 Alabama (8-1-1).
Elsewhere, No. 1 Notre Dame (10-0) tries to avoid a post-Florida State letdown at home against No. 17 Boston College (7-2); No. 4 Miami (8-1) plays at No. 9 West Virginia (9-0) in a Big East showdown; No. 5 Ohio St. (9-0-1) reaches for the Rose Bowl at Michigan (6-4), with the host role at Pasadena going to the winner of the game between No. 16 UCLA (7-3) and No. 22 Southern Cal (7-4); No. 7 Tennessee (7-1-1) is at Kentucky (6-4); Vanderbilt (4-5) visits No. 8 Florida (8-1), and No. 10 Texas A&M (8-1) is at Texas Christian (4-6).
Also, No. 12 Wisconsin (7-1-1) plays at Illinois (5-5); No. 14 Penn State (7-2) is at Northwestern (2-8); No. 18 Colorado (6-3-1) is at Iowa State (3-7); No. 20 Kansas State (7-2-1) visits Oklahoma State (3-7); No. 21 Indiana (7-3) entertains Purdue (1-9); No. 23 Virginia Tech (7-3) plays at No. 25 Virginia Tech (7-3), and No. 24 Clemson (7-3) is at South Carolina (4-6).
Then there are the traditional end-of-season showdowns including Harvard (3-6) at Yale (2-7) in The Game; California (6-4) at Stanford (4-6) in The Big Game; Minnesota (4-6) vs. Iowa (5-5) for the bronze pig statue called Floyd of Rosedale; Washington (6-4) vs. Washington State (5-5) for the Apple Cup, and Oregon (5-5) vs. Oregon State (3-7) in something unceremoniously called The Civil War.
Alabama will be Auburn's bowl game and a chance for the younger Bowden to make history. No Division I-A coach has started his career at 11-0.
Alabama, the defending national champion, has allowed Auburn only 13 points in the last three meetings between the teams.
While the younger Bowden deals with Alabama, his dad tries to restore Florida State's dented psyche against North Carolina State. The Seminoles need wins Saturday and next week against Florida to stay in the middle of the mix for No. 1.
No sooner had Notre Dame beaten Florida State to take over the top spot in the polls than coach Lou Holtz began wringing his hands again, thinking about Boston College. A year ago, the Eagles were No. 9 in the country before Notre Dame, then No. 8, walloped them 54-7. Holtz figures Boston College will be out for revenge and a chance to upset the national championship aspirations for the Irish.