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In a recent interview with The Sporting News, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said he was fired -- he didn't resign or retire.

In a recent interview with the Palm Beach Post, former FSU president T.K. Wetherell said his relationship with Bowden is now "strained."

Well, you don't say.

What did Wetherell think was going to happen, he'd still be a BFF? (Bowden's Favorite Friend).

Wetherell actually states in this interview that he'd like to get back to the days of playing golf and having barbecues, but it's "going to take some time to get there."

Like, forever.

Regardless of how you felt about Bowden during his final seasons, whether or not you thought it was time for him to step aside, the way it happened was shameful. It was ugly. And it was embarrassing for Florida State. Are the Seminoles better off now with Jimbo Fisher at the helm? It certainly appears they're headed in the right direction, and more importantly, they have direction. But was it worth all of this to get there one year earlier? Some say yes. And yet many of those same people will be among the first in line for an autograph of Bowden's new book, "Called to Coach."

Wetherell said he won't read it. Why would he? He already knows how the story ends.

Told you it was quiet out there ...

• There are five storylines worth watching at Clemson as the Tigers prepare for the Music City Bowl.
• FSU has finally returned to the football field, but not without a few storylines worth talking about from the break.
• Mark Stoops talks about his move from Arizona to FSU's new defensive coordinator.
• Former FSU president T.K. Wetherell told the Orlando Sentinel ESPN's Outside the Lines report was "totally misleading." Here's more on FSU's response to the report.

You can't say enough about Florida State coach Bobby Bowden.

And yet the suits at Florida State -- athletic director Randy Spetman and outgoing president T.K. Wetherell -- suddenly have nothing to say at all. And Bowden himself remains quiet about why he decided to resign just two days after stating publicly he would like to return.

On Monday night, Bowden spoke to reporters for the first time since announcing his retirement, and said that initially he wasn't sure if he would coach the bowl game. It took about a day for him to change his mind, and everyone who loves the game of college football should be thankful he did.

It's not the Gator Bowl's job to send Bowden out with a flourish, it was Florida State's, and the entire university -- starting at the very top -- ruined that opportunity. After 34 years, FSU nudged Bowden out the door with a press release instead of hoisting him above their shoulders the way he deserved to be carried out after two national championships, 12 ACC championships, 14 straight seasons among the Associated Press’ top 5 , two Heisman Trophy winners and a Rhodes Scholar.

It's no wonder Bowden didn't want to coach in the bowl game.

The Gator Bowl has already sold out, though, and that's thanks again to Bowden. There's only one problem with it, and it was the most revealing thing Bowden said Monday night: "I'm not interested in that last bow."

At least the Gator Bowl recognized the fact he deserves the chance to take it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

I was scanning the papers and came across this headline: "Duke, UNC co-favorites to win the ACC." Having the college football tunnel vision I do right now, I thought who wrote THIS? Then I realized it's basketball season in the ACC.

• A stinger has been bothering Georgia Tech B-back Jonathan Dwyer, but the only one who was left hurting on Saturday was Virginia defensive back Chris Cook.
• It's time to switch goals at Maryland, where a bowl game now seems unlikely. The Terps now seem ready to start playing for the future.
• Sure, it would've been nice for the Eagles to beat Notre Dame for a seventh straight time, but that loss had zero impact on what they're trying to accomplish in the conference.
• In a matchup of the "Steele Curtain" defense vs. the "Whiplash" offense, Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele came out on top.
• Duke still needs three more wins to become bowl eligible, but hey, right now, the Blue Devils look like the best team in the state.
• Virginia is trying to put its loss to Georgia Tech behind it, but it has to be hard to forget allowing 362 rushing yards.
• The Cavs aren't the only team in the conference trying to regroup. Miami coach Randy Shannon said "this one hurt."
• FSU president T.K. Wetherell has said he'd like his successor to be named by the end of the year, but right now, that looks unlikely.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden told Tony Barnhart he is "strongly leaning" toward coming back next season.

I don't think it will be Bowden's choice, and therefore I predict this will be his last season.

There are too many disgruntled people in positions of power -- money men like boosters and trustees -- who will influence the decision, and by holding private meetings this month, they've already spoken loud and clear. Outgoing university president T.K. Wetherell has long been a Bowden loyalist, and last week he passed the buck to athletic director Randy Spetman to make the final call.

Florida State is 0-3 in the ACC right now and has a much needed bye week before heading to North Carolina next Thursday. Every team remaining on the Seminoles' schedule is average and beatable, save for Florida. The problem for Bowden is that his team is also average and beatable.

Frankly, I don't think it would matter if Florida State beat every one of its remaining ACC opponents. A seven-win season in Tallahassee is no longer acceptable, and I predict FSU officials will make that clear at the end of the season by refusing to renew Bowden's contract for a final year.

Regardless of how you feel about Bowden or this situation, there is one fact everyone seems to be missing -- in the end, Bowden's future at Florida State is not in his hands. Not anymore.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

This just in: Florida State is playing Georgia Tech on Saturday.

It’s been overshadowed, though, by the other game going on in Tallahassee -- the one being played in suits, not uniforms.

It’s been the matchup of the century at Florida State, a prime-time war of words between the Bowdens (including an angry wife) and everyone who wants to see the legendary coach step down after this season. And right now, the only losers are the players.

	Rick Dole/Getty Images
	The questions surrounding Bobby Bowden’s future have taken the focus from Saturday’s game.

There have been at least two closed-door meetings this week that have resulted in little more than a distraction to the players' preparation for No. 22 Georgia Tech. The future of the program has been discussed by Florida State officials behind a cloak of secrecy, with no clear direction emerging for the fans, players or coaches to take comfort in. All that's being made public right now is what we already know -- Florida State has a succession plan in place for offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher.

"Jimbo Fisher will be Florida State University’s next head football coach," outgoing university president T.K. Wetherell said in a prepared statement released this morning. "We expect to work with Coach Fisher on a contract toward that end, and I will evaluate the program with the athletics director at the end of this season."

The truth is, those meetings were held this week to evaluate it now. Otherwise, why meet?

"If I was 40 years old I’d be shakin’ in my boots," Bobby Bowden said on Wednesday's ACC teleconference. "But I’m 79. I’ve been through it. Most of my coaching is behind me."

There is an inner circle of those in the know right now, and that doesn’t even include some of Florida State’s staff members. It’s money men like Wetherell, Jim Smith, the chair of the university's board of trustees, athletic director Randy Spetman, and Seminoles booster president Andy Miller -- men who don’t know how to defend the triple option on Saturday, or who should cover Demaryius Thomas.

Georgia Tech does not have a base offense you can prepare for in four days. This is a tricky spread-option offense that Clemson and Miami began preparing for this past summer. It's an offense that requires disciplined defenders, and assignment football -- exactly what the Noles have been missing. The Jackets are No. 6 in the country in rushing offense. They have the ACC's defending player of the year in B-back Jonathan Dwyer. They don't throw it a lot, but when they do, they're No. 8 in the country in passing efficiency. And Florida State's defense is No. 98 in the country.

If there is one week on Florida State's schedule where coaching should be the priority, this is it.

There have been the usual position meetings and practices this week, but they’ve been overshadowed by two pow-wows between the heavy hitters. Bowden met on Monday with Wetherell, and there was another long meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the future of the program.

There’s no need to meet to figure out it’s going nowhere fast at this rate.

By all appearances, Florida State is in complete disarray. Spetman wasn’t athletic director when this coach-in-waiting plan was drawn up, and he hasn’t been able to assert himself with Wetherell’s shadow still looming over the football building.

Bowden has never been the CEO type. Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has hinted at retirement at the end of this season, and Wetherell, who announced his retirement in June, will remain in office until his replacement is named. And how is Fisher to have any authority right now, when the head coach wants to hire Andrews’ replacement?

In his statement, Wetherell, a longtime Bowden loyalist, put the burden on Spetman to make the toughest decision Florida State will ever have to make -- whether to renew Bowden's contract at the end of this season or usher him into retirement.

"Any coach can choose to retire at any time," Wetherell said. "However, it is the athletics director’s responsibility to determine which coaches are hired and which contracts are extended."

For now, it’s a moot point because Bowden isn’t going anywhere this season. If any changes are made, it will be at the end of what’s going to be a long, tumultuous season -- a season that could be Bowden's last. The program's first 0-2 start in the ACC since it joined the league has many thinking it should be, but what is the "right thing" for Florida State to do? Only those within the inner circle know whether Bowden will have a say in that.

"I have talked with him at length, and I know that he will do the right thing, as he always has done," Wetherell said. "I know the man and I know what’s in his heart."

Bowden said that it's the "same old story."

"When the season's over," he said, "I'll let them know if I want to come back."

The question is whether they want him.

The Florida State officials who started these conversations this week had to know the ensuing distraction would take away from Saturday's preparation for Georgia Tech. If Bowden's future isn't going to be determined until after Florida State finishes its 2009 season, what possible reason would there be to even talk about it in October? Unless, the intent is to make it even more difficult for Bowden to turn this season around and subsequently increase the support for his early retirement.

"You heard the expression, 'You listen to your critics you’ll be sitting up there with them?'" Bowden said. "So don’t listen.”

It's been hard to tune out the in-fighting this week, though.

Forgotten in all of this is a young, mistake-prone group of football players who are just trying to beat Georgia Tech this weekend -- something that’s now seemingly impossible because the grown men who are supposed to care the most about this program are too busy drawing up their own game plan behind a closed door.

Good luck on Saturday, Noles, because defending the triple option just got even more difficult thanks to the distraction of a bureaucratic game in which it appears nobody will win.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

The ACC put another thriller on display Thursday night in Georgia Tech's 30-27 win over Clemson. Here's a look at what else is on tap in the conference this weekend:

• Maryland defensive coordinator Don Brown took full responsibility for the Terps' implosion on defense last weekend against Cal. Brown told The Washington Post, "I am completely responsible for it. I am accountable for it."
• Virginia Tech's defense wasn't entirely flawless, either, though it was hardly the debacle Maryland had. Sometimes, though, it only takes five plays to turn a game.
• Maryland's Brown wasn't the only coordinator in the ACC to come up short in his debut. Things didn't turn out as expected for Virginia offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, either.
• Despite the loss to Baylor, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe still sees reasons for optimism - and no reason to shake up his lineup.
• NC State wide receiver Jay Smith knows he dropped a big pass in the end zone against South Carolina, and he's working hard to make sure it doesn't happen again.
• Does Boston College have a new star in the making at linebacker? It will if 18-year-old Luke Kuechly continues to soak up information from Mark Herzlich and Mike McLaughlin and play like he did last weekend.
• Miami receiver Travis Benjamin doesn't hold a grudge against Florida State for not recruiting him. He just wants to beat the Noles. And this year, he helped do that.
• Will the Canes have better luck against Georgia Tech this year than in 2008? Miami coach Randy Shannon doesn't even want to think about last year.
• The public arguments between FSU president T.K. Wetherell and the NCAA are getting a little bit embarrassing.
• Virginia Tech punter Brent Bowden is in his third season as the Hokies' top punter, and he's aiming to make it his best.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Exactly nine minutes after Florida State released a statement defending itself from a report in the Oklahoman that it essentially ratted out an Oklahoma linebacker with a similar story to that of former FSU receiver Corey Surrency, FSU officials released a statement from outgoing FSU president T.K. Wetherell taking on the NCAA -- again.

A judge ruled that the NCAA has to release the documents pertaining to FSU's cheating scandal. Florida State has always been very forthcoming with turning over records to the media when they're asked for and complying with Florida's public records laws. Problem is, in this case the NCAA was tying their hands. And here's what Wetherell had to say about it:

Florida State University has consistently complied with Florida's public records laws and continuously asked the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) to release records sought by the news media in connection with our university's appeal of sanctions in our NCAA infractions case.

Today, a Leon County Circuit Court judge ruled that the two NCAA records sought by the news media are public records. The news media filed the initial lawsuit, and Florida State also filed suit to compel release of those records.

Florida State University has already transcribed one of the NCAA documents and released it to the public in a redacted form (Committee on Infractions Response to FSU Appeal).

The second document is the official transcript made by the NCAA of the Committee on Infractions Hearing of the FSU matter in October 2008 in Indianapolis. The NCAA provided this 350 page transcript to the court this week for an in camera review. The court ruled today that the NCAA should make this transcript available to the public in a redacted form. The NCAA does, however, have the prerogative to appeal the court order.

We understand that because this is a case of first impression there will most likely be further court actions. But we have at all times acted in good faith in attempting to comply with the Florida Public Records Act while adhering to NCAA bylaws.

I cannot accept or believe the statement by an NCAA official that the NCAA would take away the due process rights of a Florida public university because that university must abide by public records law. Nor do I accept the statement made in court by an NCAA representative that FSU (and therefore all Florida public universities) has the option of leaving the NCAA if they want to abide by Florida's public records law.

There will undoubtedly be changes suggested for the NCAA infractions cases and appeals involving public records issues. I will send a letter to Myles Brand, requesting that the NCAA Executive Committee look into this matter as soon as possible because it impacts all Florida public universities that are members of the NCAA.

Statements made by the NCAA continue to disappoint me. It could have resolved this whole crisis long ago by giving us hard copies of the documents the news media had requested.

This has been a long, uncomfortable, drawn-out process that needs to come to an end quickly. Neither FSU nor the NCAA is benefiting from this, and while Wetherell's verbal war with the NCAA is often at times entertaining, I'm guessing Florida State fans would rather be hearing from their football coach and players about what they're doing to beat Miami.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

• Among the various artists I have on my iPod right now are Tupac, Flo Rida, and T.I. (don't pigeon-hole me, please, I've also got Metallica, the Cranberries, and The Rolling Stones). Point is, I can think of a lot of other hip-hop artists I'd rather have as my university president than T-Pain, who started a "cam-pain" for the FSU gig. Sure, he can "Buy U a Drank," but, as outgoing president T.K. Wetherell wants to know, "Can he lobby the Legislature?" 
• The economy is hurting, and so are Maryland's ticket sales. Not exactly the ideal time to try to sell luxury suites, and that's exactly what Maryland needs to do. 
• When Virginia opens camp this weekend, first-year offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon will be looking for a few receivers who can make his spread offense work.
• Clemson is gingerly going to ease Jacoby Ford back into drills. No need to clobber one of the fastest guys in the country before the season starts.
• Tony Barnhart tackled the ACC Atlantic on Wednesday, and today he scouts the Coastal Division.
• Staying in the Coastal Division, here are five questions facing Miami -- the first and most important being whether the Canes can win the ACC. The answer is yes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said he's still taking it "year to year," and after each season deciding whether he wants to come back or not.

Well, if offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher isn't named head coach by January 2011, then FSU owes Fisher $5 million -- something outgoing president T.K. Wetherell has made quite clear the university has zero intention of doing.

I finally got the chance to ask Bowden this question: How bad would you feel if the decision you made cost the university $5 million?

Bowden laughed a hearty laugh.

"You ever heard of me n' Jimbo splittin'? Bowden said. "Me and him could make $2.5 [million] out of it, if we play it right."

Bowden got a really good laugh out of that one, which leads me to believe he's not taking that option quite too seriously.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

TGIF, ACC fans, because we're running out of links this week. Here we go ...

• Clemson freshman Tajh Boyd looks at Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor and thinks, why not me? He certainly doesn't want to redshirt -- not with Kyle Parker and Willy Korn sticking around for a while.
• Florida State is fighting an uphill battle against the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, which released its letter to the NCAA's Infractions Appeals Committee on Thursday.
• Here's what FSU will be losing when president T.K. Wetherell retires.
• And here's one leftover I stumbled across ... five keys to Georgia Tech's season.
• And the reader's choice award today goes to T.C. Burr, who spotted a few ACC names among the choices for president Pete Carroll's cabinet, God forbid such an office should ever exist ...

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

First of all, I can't help but laugh a little at the amount of comments in the mailbag by Georgia Tech fans in an absolute PANIC over the lack of Jackets on the top 30 list. Patience, guys, patience.

Charles in Durham wrote: You're down to 15 and still no Ga Tech players. I'm getting antsy!!!

HD: Imagine how Jonathan Dwyer must feel.

That was a hard list to do, and I'd probably do it six different ways if I could do it over. FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher had me regretting the fact that cornerback Patrick Robinson didn't make the cut. Fisher said Robinson should be a first-round draft pick and is convinced Robinson is one of the best lockdown corners out there, but his numbers weren't reflective of his ability last year.

"When he plays, when he's focused, which he was in the spring, he can totally shut you down," Fisher said.

Sigh.

And the toughest call of all? Leaving off Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich. I'll end the suspense on that one.

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Joe in Boston wrote: hey HD love the blog. Just a quick question on the countdown. If Herzlich was healthy where would you have him on the countdown of top acc players?

HD: Joe, if Herzlich was healthy, he'd get the top TWO spots.

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Justin in Leicester, N.C., writes: Will the new offensive coordinator help Virginia re-establish itself as a Football powerhouse? if not will al Groh lose his job?, and last question who would be the new coach if Groh was fired?

HD: I think Gregg Brandon is a good enough coach to get more out of Virginia's offense and eventually get them back into the Coastal Division race, but I'm not sure he's got the playmakers he'll need to get it done this year. Aside from Mikell Simpson, the Cavaliers lost a lot of their offense. They don't have that NFL freak on the offensive line, though it should still be good. And they'll definitely be helped by the improved depth at quarterback. I don't think Virginia is going to be a "football powerhouse" this year, and I don't think Al Groh will lose his job because of that, so I'm not going to speculate on who his replacement would be.

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Alex in Miami writes: Can you believe T.K. is retiring? What does this mean for Bobby Bowden if the next President we hire happens to not have played football under him?

HD: I was surprised by it, and he'll be missed. T.K. and I had some fun back-and-forth e-mails over the past two seasons, and he's a good sport. He's also not afraid to say what he thinks about the NCAA. I don't think anyone -- not even Florida State's president -- will have much of a factor on Bowden's decision to stay or retire. He's the only one who will make that decision.

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Evan in Jupiter, Fla. writes: Hey Heather, Georgia Tech picked up a number of recruits this past weekend. Some of them didn't have evaluations from ESPN.com. When do they update such things?

HD: Glad you asked. Our guys do NOT assign grades and evaluate players they haven't seen or received film from. That's a good thing. That way you know you're definitely getting an evaluation and grade from people who have scouted the players.

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NCHokie wrote: HD, Your links to the articles on Clemson and FSU losing money were interesting. Here's one on the Hokies NOT losing money.

HD: Thanks for the link.

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TC in Richmond, Va., writes: So HD, vacating wins seems to be the trendy thing to talk about nowadays. I know it's not the same as a forfeit, but do the opponents get to "vacate" losses? I.e. if my team went 7-4 but one of those losses was against the vacate-er (vacate-ee?), would the official record now show 7-3, or is that just too much paperwork and backtracking? Also correct me if I'm wrong--vacating wins is stupid, pointless, and at this point only really matters if your name is Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno. PS keep up the good work!

HD: Thanks for stopping by, TC. No, it does not affect the opponents' records. And, yes, it certainly hasn't seemed to affect Nick Saban too much, has it?

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Here's a little something to hold you over until ... August?

• Virginia special teams coordinator Ron Prince is wrapped-up in a bit of a legal mess with K-State, but coach Al Groh doesn't seem too concerned about it.
• Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald is ranking the top 60 Canes, and apparently he doesn't feel the love for Matt Bosher like I do.
• Florida State running back Ty Jones just can't let go of his four fumbles in the spring game -- literally. He's walking around everywhere with the football now.
• Think Dos Equis. The Most Interesting Man in the World. Now, think ... Riley Skinner?
• Virginia Tech recruit David Wilson is representing his country with pride before he heads to Blacksburg.
• FSU president T.K. Wetherell announced his retirement, but that doesn't mean he's ready to stop fighting the NCAA on the sanctions it placed on FSU.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Florida State president T.K. Wetherell, 63, handed in his letter of resignation and announced his plans to retire as soon as a successor can be found, the school announced today.

"This decision is based in large part on my belief that the next three years are going to be a highly crucial and challenging time for Florida State University," Wetherell said in a prepared statement. "My contract ends in the middle of that period, and I do not believe it would be a good idea for the university to change leadership at that point. I believe the university needs and deserves a strong leader who has the energy to be involved in the initial stages of the university's reorganizational process and the ability and desire to make a long-term commitment and comprehensive management decisions to move Florida State ahead in these challenging times."

Bobby Bowden issued this statement on Wetherell's decision:

"T.K. led Florida State with passion and enthusiasm and that will be hard to match," said Bobby Bowden. "He brought a unique perspective to the table since he played football and had worked in athletics so he knew the value of athletics to the university. Some people felt like he paid too much attention to athletics, but it never bothered me to know that our boss was interested in what we were doing. I think he worked extremely hard for the things he felt were in the best interest of Florida State University. One thing is for sure, Florida State would not have the status it has today without the work of T.K. both as president and in state government."

Wetherell's reasons for retirement -- his health and the upcoming challenges the university will face -- make sense. It will be interesting to see how much involvement his successor will have in athletics. How many other university presidents could you even name?

Wetherell, for obvious reasons, was a very visible figure when it came to the football program. If it weren't for him, FSU's current plan to have Jimbo Fisher succeed Bowden probably wouldn't have happened. (Some might say that's not necessarily a bad thing.) Wetherell also replaced former athletic director Dave Hart with Randy Spetman. And Wetherell has been very vocal during the ongoing appeal process. He also made a tremendous impact on the university as a whole.

He'll be tough to replace, but Florida State already has somebody to watch over the athletic department -- and Wetherell hired him. He can leave knowing he made an impact on both FSU athletics and academics.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

• NC State's Russell Wilson hasn't given up yet on juggling two sports. He's still lifting and running, though, and will be ready for summer camp.
• FSU president T.K. Wetherell's secret is out, but he's not the one talking about his retirement.
• Miami has changed its recruiting philosophy, and ESPN's Tom Luginbill likes it. 
• Duke coach David Cutcliffe continues to make strides recruiting in the state of North Carolina, as he picked up yet another commitment.
• Georgia Tech is also building its class with in-state recruits.
• And here are two links from readers in the mailbag. A feature on Virginia Tech defensive line coach Charley Wiles. An update on Georgia Tech recruiting, similar to the link above.