Florida State Football: Can Jimbo Fisher Ever Surpass Bobby Bowden?

Jimbo Fisher is starting his second year in his tenure as the Florida State Seminoles' head football coach. Needless to say, Fisher is stepping into some pretty big shoes vacated by the legendary Bobby Bowden.

The questions are already starting to pop up as to how Fisher’s career will ever surpass Bobby Bowden's as the Seminoles’ head coach.

First of all, it has to be recognized that the landscape of college football has changed since Bowden took over at Florida State in 1976. Gone are the days that fans will accept even a few subpar seasons from a program without demanding a change in leadership.

With that in mind, no—Jimbo Fisher has no chance to match some of the records that Bowden was able to put up at Florida State.

In fact, it’s doubtful that one coach (obviously still-active Joe-Pa notwithstanding) will ever come close to having as many wins with one program as Bowden did at FSU. Coach Bowden racked up a staggering 304 victories during his tenure at Florida State.

And as far as FSU history goes, Bowden will always be remembered as the coach that turned a horrible program into a national powerhouse for decades—a feat which, by its nature, can only truly be completed once.

Moving forward, Fisher does have an opportunity to surpass Bowden in some respects. Fisher could make a huge stride towards achieving that end tonight when the Florida State Seminoles take on the Oklahoma Sooners.

Bowden did only win two National Championships in his time at Florida State. This is a mark that could conceivably be surpassed by Jimbo Fisher. If he does so, he will certainly be revered on a similar level to Bowden in Tallahassee.

In this era of “What have you done for me lately?” attitudes in college football, Fisher will not have nearly the time Bowden did to bring greatness to the program, but the potential is certainly there.

Only time will tell if potential morphs into reality for Fisher.