Fansided

20 college football records that will never be broken

By Nathaniel Reeves

7 Nov 1998: Head coach Bobby Bowden of the Florida State Seminoles looks on as players celebrate during the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Doak Campell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles defeated the Cavaliers 45-14. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Allsport
7 Nov 1998: Head coach Bobby Bowden of the Florida State Seminoles looks on as players celebrate during the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Doak Campell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles defeated the Cavaliers 45-14. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Allsport /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – JANUARY 01: Head coach Bobby Bowden of the Florida State Seminoles is carried off the field by his players after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers during the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on January 1, 2010 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida State defeated West Virginia 33-21 in Bobby Bowden’s last game as a head coach for the Seminoles. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – JANUARY 01: Head coach Bobby Bowden of the Florida State Seminoles is carried off the field by his players after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers during the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on January 1, 2010 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida State defeated West Virginia 33-21 in Bobby Bowden’s last game as a head coach for the Seminoles. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) /

5. Consecutive finishes in the AP top five: Florida State, 14 

Top five AP finishes is a rather arbitrary record, but Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles still deserve a ton of credit for their unbeatable run that spanned the entire 1990s and more.

Following successful stints at Samford and West Virginia to begin his coach career, Bowden took over at Florida State prior to the 1976 season. The Seminoles were not quite the powerhouse program of today, and had won just four games over the three seasons prior to Bowden’s arrival.

That changed in a hurry, as the Seminoles improved all the way to 11-1 by 1979 and have been a national contender in the vast majority of seasons since. Florida State went 11-1 again in 1987 to finish in the No. 2 spot in the AP Poll, and it wouldn’t slip outside the top five again until an eight-win season in 2001.

The fact that it’s slightly disappointing the Seminoles only captured the 1993 and 1999 national titles out of that stretch is a testament to how dominant Bowden’s program was. Saban’s Alabama, widely considered one of the greatest dynasties the sport has ever seen, is currently at a streak of three straight top five finishes, showing how unbreakable the record is.

After a down period near the end of Bowden’s career, the Seminoles are rolling again under Jimbo Fisher, although he has a long way to go to match the longevity of the previous dynasty.

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