Paterno vs. Bowden: Is the Great Race Over?

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The age-defying race for major college football victories may not, after all, have to be settled by a health bow-out or, gulp, death.

Instead, the NCAA, that old Grim Reaper, may have adjudicated the matter of Penn State coach/octogenarian Joe Paterno and Florida State coach/granddad-gum Bobby Bowden.

Paterno, who turned 82 in December, holds the record with 383 victories. Bowden, 79, is one win behind.

But is the race, effectively, over?

The NCAA on Friday levied major sanctions on Florida State athletics, including football, that will force the school to vacate victories in 2006 and 2007. How many is yet to be determined, but any win removed will be erased from Bowden’s ledger.

As many as 14 victories could be wiped out. Bowden was not directly involved or implicated with the academic cheating scandal that involved 10 sports, but he could ultimately pay a big price.

People have pondered for years how this Paterno/Bowden race would play out--and now we might know.

Neither coach seemed willing to retire and hand history over to the last coach standing.

And then the NCAA stepped in.

Of course, some Penn State fans have argued for years that Bowden should not be able to count 31 victories he accrued at Howard, now Samford, which plays at a lower level.

Paterno and Bowden have publicly downplayed their years-long battle for victories. The coaches are close friends and hall of famers. But Bowden’s desire to reach 400 victories could be impacted by the NCAA punishment.

Last year it appeared a nagging hip injury might force Paterno to retire, but he bounced back after having hip-replacement surgery in November and then signed a three-year contract extension.

Bowden signed a one-year extension in January with coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher ready to take over the program when Bowden leaves.

If Bowden loses 14 wins, that will put him 15 behind Paterno entering the 2009 season.

This story, though, may not be completely written. We don’t know yet how many victories Florida State will have to vacate. It will depend on how many ineligible players were involved in those games of ’06 and ’07.

Florida State also plans to appeal the NCAA’s edict to eradicate Bowden victories.

There is a historical precedent, here, too. In 2007, the NCAA forced Oklahoma to forfeit all eight of its wins in 2005 as part of sanctions levied in the case involving Sooner players and a local car dealership.

The sanctions dropped Coach Bob Stoops’ record from 86-19 to 78-27.

Oklahoma appealed, though, and in 2008 the NCAA restored the victories to Oklahoma and to Stoops.

So is this the end of Paterno vs. Bowden?

Is it time to declare JoePa the winner?

Yes. Well, maybe. Well, we think so.

Unless Paterno finally calls it quits at 85 but Bowden coaches until he’s 90.

-- Chris Dufresne