The Associated Press

CLEMSON, S.C. - It's no longer easy to be the best Bowden in college football.

While Florida State can wrap up its 11th ACC crown and inch closer to a possible national-title game with a win over Clemson, coach Bobby Bowden knows his son's career in Tigertown hangs in the balance.

"It makes it very tough," the elder Bowden said.

The third-ranked Seminoles travel to Death Valley Saturday night to face Tommy Bowden's Tigers in the fifth Bowden Bowl.

Four years ago, the first father-son matchup in big-time college football history became a joyous Bowden family get-together and was capped by a pretty good game. No. 1 Florida State overcame Clemson's early lead to win 17-14 and give Bobby his 300th win.

This time, the talk is largely about Tommy's uncertain future.

Last weekend, the Tigers trailed Wake Forest 45-0 before losing 45-17. It left people in the stands chanting, "Fire Bowden." Bobby knows what happens this week could further hurt his son.

"You want to see him succeed," said Bobby, who stands at 340 career wins - four of those coming against his son. "We know this profession is like that. It's very precarious."

Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips says he'll discuss the program's future with Bowden after the season. Until their last three games are played, Phillips said, "we're going to encourage and support these coaches, and we're going to encourage and support our team."

Tiger fans have come to expect more than gradual progress since their 1981 national championship and decade of ACC dominance in the 1980s. Tommy knows his father's torn. However, he expects to see the same Seminoles who've averaged almost 46 points their past three games with Clemson.

"There's a professional side that my father and my mother are both aware of," Tommy said. "But I think the human aspect, the blood, you can never erase. . . . I think after the last two years, my father doesn't have nearly as much fun as he used to."

Regardless, they must play Saturday.

"Whatever happens, he can handle it like a man, I know that," Bobby said.

Arkansas 28, S. Carolina 6

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Matt Jones threw three touchdown passes and Arkansas came back on short rest to beat South Carolina.

The Razorbacks had little time to prepare following Saturday night's seven-overtime win at Kentucky. Behind Jones and DeCori Birmingham's 51-yard TD run, they did fine.

Arkansas (6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) became bowl eligible for the sixth straight season under coach Houston Nutt, tying a mark South Carolina coach Lou Holtz set when he was at the school from 1977-83.

Jones didn't start, but entered on the second series. He completed 11-of-14 passes for 148 yards.

South Carolina (5-5, 2-5) had four turnovers, and two mistakes left the Gamecocks with just three points after a pair of 13-play drives.

Quarterback Dondrial Pinkins completed 21-of-36 passes for 181 yards. He threw two interceptions.

OSU: The son of former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes removed himself Thursday as the judge in the misdemeanor case involving suspended Buckeyes tailback Maurice Clarett.

The case was reassigned to Judge Mark S. Froehlich.

UCF: Two more Central Florida football players were suspended Thursday, bringing to five the number disciplined this week.

Defensive tackle DeMarcus Johnson was suspended for the rest of the season and guard Dan Veenstra for one game for violating team rules.