Bowden prefers not to be big favorite for Orange Bowl

Wednesday, December 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tallahassee-AP) -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden would prefer to be the underdog than the overdog in the Orange Bowl game against Oklahoma next month for the national championship.

Bowden recalls that in 1993 the Seminoles were 17-point favorites over Nebraska and won the game in the dying moments with a field goal.

Florida State is a 12-and-and-half-point favorite for the January Third game. In his words: Here we go again.

Florida State will be in its third straight national title game and fourth in five years. Florida State is 11-and-1. The Sooners are undefeated.

On another note, Bowden says he's not thinking about retirement after the game.

He says the only way he would retire is if he had a heart attack at the end of the game. He's 77.