When Jimbo Fisher succeeded Bobby Bowden four years ago, Florida State was coming off its worst four-year stretch in more than four decades.
Three times in Bowden’s final four years, the Seminoles won just seven games. The program was in decline, recruits were shunning FSU and one of the most iconic coaches in college football history was forced to resign.
Fisher knew the task wouldn’t be easy, and he started rebuilding one recruiting class at a time.
Consider Florida State rebuilt.
Fisher’s vision will play out at 8:30 Monday night at the Rose Bowl, where No. 1 Florida State (13-0) will face No. 2 Auburn (12-1) and chase the program’s third national title. The Seminoles’ rise has been steady, as they won 10, nine and 12 games in Fisher’s first three seasons before rolling through the 2013 schedule at a pace that has some analysts comparing them to the most dominant teams in the game’s history.
“I still think our best game is out there,” Fisher said Sunday. “I’m looking forward to playing it on Monday night, and our kids are looking forward to the challenge.”
Florida State is averaging 53 points a game. If FSU scores 28 points in the title game, it will surpass the all-time record of 716 points posted by Oklahoma in 2008.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn had the same orders as Fisher for a program that had sunk even further than FSU. The Tigers took a huge hit in 2012 when — just two seasons after an undefeated national championship season — they dropped to 3-9 and were winless in the SEC. Malzahn, who was Auburn’s offensive coordinator from 2009-11 before leaving to coach Arkansas State, was called back to clean up the mess.
Nobody could have predicted what then happened.
“He came in telling us that we’re going to have the biggest turnaround in college football history,” said All-America running back Tre Mason, a former Park Vista High School standout.
A turnaround is one thing, but to think Auburn would be the team thathas the chance to extend the SEC’s streak of seven consecutive national titles was a big stretch.
“I just told our guys that, ‘Hey, we’re not going to think about or worry about what happened last year. … Everybody is going to get a fresh start,’ ’’ Malzahn said.
Auburn’s path to the title game has been filled with land mines. The Tigers escaped with last-second wins against Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama — the latter two requiring miraculous game-winning plays — and had to overcome being soundly beaten by LSU.
And even after trouncing Missouri in the SEC title game, the Tigers still needed help and received it when Michigan State upset then-undefeated Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.
By comparison, FSU has arrived in the title game with nary a challenge. The Seminoles’ closest game was a two-touchdown victory at Boston College.
“We’re not going out there to take anybody for granted,” said Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston. “It’s not over yet. We’ve got a 14th (game), and why not end this (season) with a victory?”
Despite being about a touchdown favorite, the Seminoles will play with somewhat of a chip on their shoulders. Since dominating Duke in the ACC title game nearly a month ago, Florida State has repeatedly heard about Auburn’s powerful running game and the SEC’s dominance in the BCS era.
The Tigers lead the nation with 335.7 rushing yards per game, and Mason (1,621) and quarterback Nick Marshall (1,023) both topped 1,000 yards.
“They can get the ball to the edges, they can be physical inside, and then the quarterback can create plays with his legs,” Fisher said.
The crystal ball trophy has taken residence at an SEC school since Florida’s first title following the 2006 season. The conference’s seven titles have been by an average of 17 points per game.
“You see it all year, you see a lot of analysts saying the SEC is the best conference, (these are) the best players in football,” FSU All-America cornerback Lamarcus Joyner said.
“To me it doesn’t really matter. I’m just here to win a national championship.”
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