KELLY JORDAN/The Times-Union--010110--Legendary Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden looks up at the replay screen during his final game against West Virginia at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium for the Gator Bowl Friday January 1, 2010.(The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan) Kelly Jordan/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

College football’s most ridiculous stat belongs to FSU’s Bobby Bowden

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Tommy Mire | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Some would say that records are meant to be broken, signaling a shift in culture, legacy, and a new wave of milestones to achieve. With that being said, those records are set by the best, and the likelihood of breaking some of the ones set by legendary Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden is out of reach, if not impossible.

It is undeniable that the impact Bowden had on the Seminoles, Tallahassee, and on a broader scale, changed the game of football itself. It would be hard to imagine what the people of the Capital City expected when they hired the young football coach from Birmingham, Alabama, in 1976, but it probably wasn't a 316-97-4 record, two national titles, an illustrious 34-year career, and a face that now graces the College Football Hall of Fame.

ESPN released a list of college football's 10 most unbreakable records, and Bowden's run of 14 straight top-five finishes from 1987-2000 took the No. 3 spot.

"For all the late Bobby Bowden accomplished during his Hall of Fame career, his remarkable consistency could be the most impressive thing," ESPN's Chris Low wrote. "His Florida State teams finished in the top five of every final AP poll from 1987 to 2000, an amazing run no matter the era."

For comparison, Alabama's Nick Saban's longest streak was five straight from 2014 to 2018.

"Think about it: Fourteen straight top-five finishes. Pete Carroll had some dominant teams at USC, and the Trojans' longest streak was seven straight top-five finishes (2002-08)," Low continued. "The same is true for Oklahoma under Wilkinson (1952-58). And while Alabama won six national titles under Nick Saban, his longest run of top-five seasons was five in a row (2014-18)."

Bowden's 33 consecutive bowl appearances didn't land on the "unbreakable" scale or the 150+ NFL Draft picks, including stars like Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, and Warrick Dunn, but there is no question that Bowden turned Florida State into a national powerhouse.

His name is etched in the history of the Seminoles, and his legacy remains visible today on Bobby Bowden Field.