Insider: Schnellenberger building a fourth power in Florida

If that sounds like a recruiting pitch, well, you're right. The guy didn't get to his station in life without knowing how to work the media.

First aiming to play in lower divisions, the Owls reached the I-AA national semifinals last season and finished ranked No. 4. During that season it defeated Middle Tennessee, becoming the fastest I-AA program ever (22nd game) to beat a I-A opponent.

That team went 11-3 with no seniors. Because the program is in that transitional status this year, it can neither go to the playoffs nor be eligible for a bowl.

It matters little. Florida Atlantic already has shocked the world. It went to Hawaii over Labor Day weekend for the opener and won in overtime. The score made few if any mainland papers the next day because the game ended at 4:11 a.m. ET. The team returned to find the campus shut down due to damage caused by Hurricane Frances. The players were forced to stay in a hotel for a week.

The Owls then traveled to Denton, Texas, where they upset three-time Sun Belt champ North Texas, ending the school's nine-game home winning streak.

They were trailing 17-6 on Saturday at Middle Tennessee before rallying to win 27-20 behind Allen's three touchdown passes.

Florida Atlantic finally will play its home opener Saturday against Illinois State.

"The whole idea is to go undefeated," Allen said.

Schnellenberger has done it without a 300-pound lineman on the roster. "Fat bellies," he says of allowing his players to weigh what has become the norm for most other I-A linemen. He has done it with a staff that has accumulated seven national championships and might, before Schnellenberger leaves, get another.

That's the whole idea for a man who is a long way from taking his last puff.

"When Joe Paterno retires, I'll have eight years to go," Schnellenberger said, "and when Bobby Bowden retires I'll have six years to go."

So maybe that coin flip thing wasn't wacky at all. The way Schnellenberger figures it, the Supreme Being has helped him out before. That day and night of Jan. 1, 1984, when Miami came in ranked No. 4. No. 2 Texas lost. No. 3 Auburn barely beat Michigan.

All Miami had to do was beat No. 1 Nebraska.

"God worked some kind of miracle for us to put us in that position," Schnellenberger said.

Everything fell into place, miraculously, launching a dynasty. A dynasty that went on without its architect.

"If I started (worrying about) that I'd probably jump off a mountain someplace," Schnellenberger said.

Maybe that's why he settled in Boca Raton, at sea level.