COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden reacted angrily to Ohio State’s firing of Cooper.

“It’s reached an extreme I wished it never reached,” Bowden said of his profession. “It’s too easy to fire a coach now.”

The 71-year-old Bowden doesn’t have to worry about job security, but he worries about the standards being set for today’s coaches.

“When you used to go to a bowl, it was a great honor to go to a bowl,” Bowden said. “Now, you get fired for going to a bowl.”

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Bowden took another swipe at Florida Coach Steve Spurrier during Tuesday’s final Orange Bowl news conference.

Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops was Spurrier’s defensive coordinator for three years, from 1996-98, and Spurrier’s son, Steve Jr., coaches the Oklahoma receivers.

Asked if Stoops and Spurrier would be wise to consult the Florida coach for advice on how to beat Florida State, Bowden quipped, “Not if they want to win.”

Bowden then broke into a laugh and said, “That was for Steve.”