Maryland's Friedgen: Bowden, FSU should vacate victories

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Not everyone in the coaching profession is on board with Bobby Bowden keeping all 382 of his career victories.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen told CBSSports.com that Bowden and Florida State deserve to vacate any victories they gained while playing ineligible players. FSU was placed on probation in March as the result of a widespread academic fraud scandal. Sixty-one total athletes were involved. FSU suspended 23 football players from the 2007 Music City Bowl after the wrongdoing was discovered.

Pending an appeal, Bowden might have to vacate as many as 14 victories, the combined number of games won in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

"Is it fair?" Friedgen said. "Yeah, they played ineligible people ... They orchestrate 36 guys -- academic fraud by the academic counselor -- and they lose one or two games? That's not right."

Actually, the NCAA has told Florida State to determine how many players competed while ineligible and when. While Bowden might lose up to the 14 games won in those two seasons (seven each season), the total could be less (or none). That's the point of the appeal by the school that could be finalized by the end of this month, CBSSports.com has learned. FSU president T.K. Wetherell recently proposed a blue-ribbon committee to examine the issue but was turned down by the NCAA.

Friedgen has his own reasons to support the NCAA penalties. Two recent cases in the ACC have impacted the league. Duke suspended quarterback Zack Asack for the entire 2006 season reportedly because of plagiarism. In 2005, 11 Georgia Tech football players were found to be improperly certified as being eligible. Seventeen Georgia Tech athletes total were found to be ineligible during a six-year span. In 2006, the school won an NCAA appeal after it was initially forced to vacate football victories from 1998 through 2004. Friedgen was offensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets from 1997-2000.

"Duke suspends a guy for a year. They (Florida State) got 36 of them and they don't lose a whole year?" Friedgen asked. "Yeah, I think it's [penalties] more than fair. They're [Florida State] playing with the guys I can't play with."

Friedgen is coming off an 8-5 season that ended in a Humanitarian Bowl victory over Nevada. Maryland hasn't won the ACC since 2001, Friedgen's first year as coach. In February, the school announced that offensive coordinator James Franklin would be Maryland's coach-in-waiting. Friedgen, 62, is entering his ninth season as head coach of his alma mater. He has three years remaining on his current contract, although he has no plans to retire.

"To me, it [penalties] should be standard throughout the league," Friedgen said. "We're all in the league together. Otherwise he gains a competitive advantage."