TALLAHASSEE, FLA. ? In 1999, when father faced son for the first time, an aura of fun surrounded the Bowden Bowl.

The novelty has worn off.

“I hate it,” said Ann Bowden, the wife of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and mother of Clemson coach Tommy Bowden. “I hate it.”

Even the unveiling of a bronze statute of Bobby on Friday could not make Bowden Bowl VI — today in Tallahassee — a joyous occasion. After all, someone has to lose.

FSU already has one Atlantic Coast Conference loss this season, and another loss would end the Seminoles’ national-title and league-championship hopes. Clemson has lost twice in a row, and Tommy Bowden is back on the hot seat.

Meanwhile, when FSU’s offense struggles, fans heap criticism on Seminoles offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, the youngest of Bobby and Ann’s six children.

Then, there’s something that dwarfs the game.

The Bowden family continues to mourn the deaths of John A. Madden and Bowden Madden in a car accident on Sept. 5. John A. Madden was the ex-husband of Ginger Madden, one of Bobby and Ann’s two daughters, and Bowden Madden was one of Bobby and Ann’s 21 grandchildren.

“Jeff’s criticisms, my dad losing, Tommy’s on the hot seat — that’s in a whole different world,” ABC analyst Terry Bowden said. “If dad was undefeated and Tommy was undefeated, they would not feel any better over the loss of my sister’s husband and son.”

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, left, shakes hands with son Tommy Bowden, Clemson's coach, prior to last season's meeting at Clemson, S.C.

Ann Bowden and Ginger Madden didn’t attend last weekend’s FSU-UAB game in Tallahassee because they often cry when people attempt to say something nice, Bobby Bowden said. The 74-year-old coach has been grieving, too.

“It was bad for him, too,” Ann said. “I’ve never seen him weep so hard.”

Tommy Bowden was close to his nephew, sending him gear and clothing bearing Clemson’s logo. Bowden Madden, 15, played center at Fort Walton Beach’s Choctawhatchee High and was an avid Clemson fan.

“Football’s always meant a lot to the family, and it’s awfully important,” Tommy Bowden said. “But being raised in the environment that I was … our priorities for the first time were really challenged with the death in the immediate family.”

But football continues.

The Tigers (1-2) lost to Georgia Tech in the final seconds Sept. 11, then fell 27-6 at Texas A&M. The critics who hounded Tommy Bowden last season have resurfaced.

Before last season’s game against FSU, speculation was rampant that Bowden would be fired. The Tigers were 5-4 at the time, and family members braced for the worst.

“I think he definitely would have lost it if I would have won,” Bobby Bowden said. “I think they already had everything in place.”

But Clemson won and finished the season on a five-game winning streak, including a 63-17 pounding of South Carolina and a Peach Bowl victory over Tennessee. Bowden was voted ACC Coach of the Year honors and given a contract extension with a large buyout clause that gives him financial security.