By MIKE LOPRESTI
Gannett News Service

Someone check the wires. Any bad news the last hour from Florida State?

Surely, it won't end like this for Bobby Bowden. Surely, he did not coach this long to go down on a ship wreck. There must be a silver lining in the thunderstorm that now drenches him.

It is hard to imagine what Bowden did to deserve the last week. The last month. The last season. Somewhere, there must be a Bowden voodoo doll with a pin it.

Where did the good times go?

The season was painful, disappointing, unacceptable. He was stunned by Louisville, thwarted by Miami, whipped by Notre Dame, hammered by North Carolina State.

Bad luck smirked at him. Unfortunate words hounded him. Foul fate hassled him.

He is 73. When you go 11-1, that age is charming and heartening and lovable. But when you go 9-4 and have flames licking at your program, they start saying you've lost your fastball, and mention the appeal of fishing.

Bowden tried two men in the quarterback position, waiting for one or the other to make Florida State look like Florida State.

But Adrian McPherson had to be dumped because of charges in the theft of a check.

And Chris Rix just slept his way out of the Sugar Bowl, dozing through a final religion exam. The Seminoles' latest crisis could have been prevented by a $10 alarm clock.

Wait. It's not the latest. This just in:

The police are reportedly investigating the program because of some gambling allegations.

"I would be shocked if any of my players were involved in this," Bowden said. "But you never know. You're just nearly scared to say."

He seemed properly wary, like a man who now wakes up each morning wondering what comes next.

"I think this has been the most trying season I can ever remember," he said the other day.

A proper Florida State season would help cushion all these blows. But the year started going wrong on a rainy night in Louisville.

Since then, the Seminoles seldom played like themselves, or what they used to be. They have been put in the uncomfortable and uncustomary position of being asked to apologize for their postseason assignment.

The happy ending, of course would be to stun Georgia in New Orleans, and then tell all the critics to go choke on their seafood gumbo.

But how do you do that with your top two quarterbacks in their civvies?

Now lining up behind center is Fabian Walker, last seen starting a game for Jones Community College in Mississippi in 2000.

Walker threw eight passes this season. He will arrive in the Superdome on training wheels, but will be asked to beat the 12-1 SEC champions.

And what if something should happen to Walker? (Times being what they are for Florida State, he might get hit by a meteorite).

The next option is either a wide receiver or tight end converted to quarterback. Or maybe the single wing offense.

It does not take much to remember when things were different, and December invariably meant national title talk in Tallahassee.

That was yesterday. Now there are jarring headlines, a watery roster, and four losses for the second straight year. Bowden limps toward sunset rather than races there.

This Sugar Bowl would seem out of the question. But if there is justice, Bowden has one revival left in him, preferably next season, before the critics begin to truly howl. Bowden does not need a gold watch to retire. He needs a better team. And some luck wouldn't hurt.

He has been good for Florida State, good for college football beyond. Too good to go out like this.