Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ó Bobby Bowden isn’t sure his 24th-ranked Florida State team deserves that rating yet but expects he’ll find out today against No. 18 Wake Forest.
Bowden’s young Seminoles climbed into The Associated Press poll at No. 24 after scoring 115 points in overwhelming Championship Subdivision foes Chattanooga and Western Carolina to start their season.
“I was surprised we even broke the Top 25,” Bowden said. “We’re not ready for that yet.”
And Wake Forest?
“Ain’t nobody laughing at Wake Forest now,” Bowden said about the one-time ACC patsy that has won 22 of its last 29 games while Florida State is 16-13 over the same period.
Florida State and Wake Forest have met 26 times through the years, but Saturday will be the first time both teams are ranked when they match 2-0 records.
“This is one of those games where you really don’t have to say much to your players,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “This is one of those deals where the motivation will kind of take care of itself.”
Wake Forest, which has won the last two meetings with the Seminoles, is at No. 18.
And Bowden, who shares the lead in all-time major college coaching wins at 375 with Penn State’s Joe Paterno, worries that his inexperienced club may not be up to today’s challenge.
“Their maturity level and ours are nearly at opposite ends,” said Bowden.