Paul Finebaum reflects on Bobby Bowden’s dominance of Florida, Miami rivalries
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Bobby Bowden was a giant among college football coaches, leading Florida State to 2 national championships and winning 377 games in his legendary career.
After he passed away at the age of 91 on Sunday, fans, coaches, former players and media members are all paying tribute to the iconic coach.
During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Monday, SEC Network host Paul Finebaum told cohost Greg McElroy that he was most impressed by Bowden’s records in the Seminoles’ in-state rivalry games against Florida and Miami:
.@finebaum joined @macandcube to discuss the legacy of the legendary Coach Bobby Bowden and his success at Florida State. pic.twitter.com/RVrv6oRTV6
— McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning (@macandcube) August 9, 2021
“I think, as you study college football, that’s one of the most remarkable runs of all-time,” Finebaum said. “I know that maybe we don’t pay enough attention to that because of what (Alabama coach Nick) Saban has done recently. But on top of that, Greg, think about the era he did that in — the heyday of Miami, when they could have won it every year, and won it a lot of years, and also the ascension of Steve Spurrier. I think, if you want to pick out one number — his record against Steve Spurrier at Florida. … ‘Owning’ is a ridiculous phrase sometimes because they were both really good coaches, but (Bowden) dominated that series. At the time, we’re talking about 3 of the top programs in the country. This wasn’t a one-sided rivalry. This should have been an even rivalry, and Bobby Bowden had a significant advantage during the heyday of the rivalry.”
Bowden went 8-5-1 against Spurrier and was one of a very few coaches who had a winning record against the Head Ball Coach.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
