There is no defense for Florida State. (Insider: college football).

The driving rain last Thursday night in Louisville played a part in the Cardinals' wild overtime upset of Florida State--a tiny part. Far more relevant is the harsh truth that Bobby Bowden worshippers don't want to accept: He's not bringing in the same talent that he used to.

I talk a lot on the air about how scholarship reductions in college football have distributed the talent more evenly, making every opponent dangerous even to the best teams. But it's still very hard to believe the Seminoles have fallen this far. They're still loaded with great offensive players, but I watch their defense and hardly recognize it. Where are the stars? Who's the next Derrick Brooks or Peter Boulware? This has to be one of the worst defenses 18th-year coordinator Mickey Andrews has put on the field.

Even more apparent is the absence of that intimidating Seminoles swagger. Bowden used to think nothing of going for it on fourth-and-5 in his own territory because he knew his defense was indomitable. Opposing coaches quaked in their shoes wondering what Bowden would do ...