Chris Dufresne’s preseason college football top 25: No. 15 Florida State

The Times’ Chris Dufresne unveils his preseason college football top 25, one day (and team) at a time.

No. 15 Florida State

Florida State won’t be the same without Bobby Bowden as coach, but maybe not worse.

Bowden, who took over the program in 1976, retired as one of the all-time greats and will be remembered for transforming a former women’s college into a football powerhouse.

Things hadn’t gone well lately, though, and Florida State couldn’t wait any more for coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher, effectively pushing Bowden out after last year’s 7-6 season.

That, and the stain of a department-wide academic scandal requiring Bowden to vacate 11 victories, made for a bittersweet transition.

But facts are facts — Florida State hasn’t been great for quite some time.

The Seminoles, who lost 13 games under Bowden from 1990 through 1999, dropped 44 games from 2000 through 2009.

Fisher was hired as Bowden’s ultimate successor three years ago not knowing when his day would come. It has arrived, and the fresh start could be the first step toward reconstruction.

“We didn’t get in this situation overnight,” Fisher said at the recent Atlantic Coast Conference media days. “And we’re not going to fix it by snapping our fingers.”

The offense returns almost everyone, including quarterback Christian Ponder, who is being touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Ponder’s entire offensive line is back, and there are enough skill players to make this one of the ACC’s most rapid-fire units.

Points aren’t going to be the problem. Preventing them will be the problem. The real collapse at Florida State in recent years has been on defense, with legendary coordinator Mickey Andrews failing to sustain the stinginess of his best units.

Andrews left along with Bowden, leaving behind an outfit that last year finished No. 108 out of 120 major college teams in total defense. Florida State was last in ACC against the run.

Fisher made his name as the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban of Louisiana State’s national title team in 2003, but he knows his future at Florida State might well be decided on defense.

To get better in a hurry, he lured defensive coordinator Mark Stoops away from brother Mike’s team at Arizona.

The first major test for Mark Stoops’ defense? Sept. 11 at Oklahoma, which is coached by his brother Bob.

Fisher, the oldest son of a coal miner, has changed almost everything about Florida State’s culture, including practice times, nutrition and media access. He’s already gotten a taste of being a head coach too, when star linebacker Nigel Carr was arrested in July and charged with two felony burglary counts.

No one could blame that on an old coach who had lost touch with his team.

Bowden, in his later years, pined for the days when a coach could settle player problems with a phone call to the police chief.

Coaches used to coach from towers too.

Change is tough, but sometimes necessary.

The countdown so far: 25. Washington; 24. Navy; 23. Utah; 22. Houston; 21. Pittsburgh; 20. USC; 19. Stanford; 18. Auburn; 17. Arkansas; 16. Oregon State; 15. Florida State.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com