TALLAHASSEE — Seminole Nation is restless, hungry for Florida State to return to collegiate football prominence.
It’s been a rough decade for the once-feared program and Bobby Bowden. The revered, aging coach put the school on the map during an unprecedented 14-year run of top-five finishes that produced a pair of national titles and narrowly missed another half dozen crowns between 1987-2000.
But now there’s more talk here about archrival Florida quarterback Tim Tebow than any Seminole player. During a decade of mediocrity. Florida State has seen a precipitous drop-off in talent while the hated Gators have enjoyed their greatest prosperity with two national titles in three years.
But Bowden and his designated replacement, offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, are confident they’re not far from getting back to the top with what they describe as a young, yet experienced team readying for 2009.
“I think we can,” said Bowden, who is scheduled to give way to Fisher in January 2011. “The good thing is they’re back another year. We’ve got a chance to improve, improve both years.”
Florida State’s best returning player is junior guard Rodney Hudson. Few others have done enough for fans to boast about, at least not yet.
The Seminoles’ best player last year was placekicker-punter Graham Gano, who took his Lou Groza Award-winning toe to the NFL.
While a national championship had been the preseason goal for more than a decade, just reaching the Atlantic Coast Conference title game for the first time in four years is more realistic for a team almost bereft of stars with the notable exception of the 285-pound Hudson.
Junior quarterback Christian Ponder, who was given the starting job a year ago by Fisher, will have to rely on a running game to help out early while a new receiver corps gets established. His top threats from last year — Greg Carr and Preston Parker — are gone.
“I’m just not worried about that part,” said the always-optimistic Bowden. “You’ve got some that are experienced and some that are young, but there’s talent there.”
The position was also a problem last year with many of the receivers suspended for various team violations or run-ins with the law.
“We had a lot of things hanging over our head,” said receiver Bert Reed, who was suspended three different times. “We’re focusing on leaving that in the past.”
Ponder was counted on to manage games last year and avoid mistakes, but he’ll have to show he can make plays regularly if Florida State wants to match or improve on last year’s 9-4 record.
“I’ve gotten a lot more confident,” Ponder said at the school’s media day. “I think it’ll be a totally different year.”
Carr and tailback Antone Smith and their 55 career touchdowns have departed along with Gano’s 105 points from last season alone.
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