--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As good as we were, we didn’t win a…" description: "\"As good as we were, we didn’t win a National Championship until 1993, mainly because we kept losing to Miami on missed kicks. I used to get mad because..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/bobby-bowden-13983_championship_as-good-as-we-were-we-didn-t-win-a-natio_2174350.png" --- # As good as we were, we didn’t win a National Championship… ![“As good as we were, we didn’t win a National Championship until 1993, mainly because we kept losing to Miami on missed kicks. I used to get mad because nobody else would play Miami. Notre Dame would play them, then drop them. Florida dropped them. Penn State dropped them. We would play Miami and…” quote by Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/bobby-bowden-13983_championship_as-good-as-we-were-we-didn-t-win-a-natio_2174350.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/bobby-bowden-13983_championship_as-good-as-we-were-we-didn-t-win-a-natio_2174350.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/bobby-bowden-13983_championship_as-good-as-we-were-we-didn-t-win-a-natio_2174350.png) > “As good as we were, we didn’t win a National Championship until 1993, mainly because we kept losing to Miami on missed kicks. I used to get mad because nobody else would play Miami. Notre Dame would play them, then drop them. Florida dropped them. Penn State dropped them. We would play Miami and lose by one point on a missed field goal, and it would knock us out of the National Championship. I didn’t want to play them, either, but I had to play them. That’s why I said, When I die, They’ll say, ‘At least he played Miami.” [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Repeated failures against a dominant rival delayed ultimate success, highlighting the importance of perseverance despite undesirable matchups. **In simple terms:** Repeated losses to Miami delayed a championship. Key Takeaway Embrace tough opponents as growth opportunities. Themes perseverance competition resilience Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - College football playoffs - career milestones - strategic planning Key Concepts Sports psychology team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn a recurring obstacle into a catalyst for improvement? - What mindset shifts help when facing an undesirable opponent? A Different Perspective Success may still be limited by external factors like opponent strength. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Championship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/championship/) [Florida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/florida/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Kicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicks/) [Miami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miami/) [National championships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-championships/) [Notre dame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notre-dame/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [I have always respected how Bobby Bowden would go out and challenge any opponent, and he produced some legendary games against the University of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/i-have-always-respected-how-bobby-bowden-would-go-out-and-challenge/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [I've played for the Miami Heat my whole career under Pat Riley. Mr. GQ himself. So when I pick out my outfits before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/i-ve-played-for-the-miami-heat-my-whole-career-under-pat-riley-mr-gq/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [I played for Miami, with LeBron. They cut me. I got drafted by the Lakers, they traded me to Miami. Bron got there, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-beverley/i-played-for-miami-with-lebron-they-cut-me-i-got-drafted-by-the/) [Patrick Beverley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-beverley/) > [I even played a part in 'Miami Vice.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-even-played-a-part-in-miami-vice/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [If short hair and good manners won football games, Army and Navy would play for the national championship every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/if-short-hair-and-good-manners-won-football-games-army-and-navy-would/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [People want national championship banners. People want to talk about Indiana being competitive. How do we get there? We don't get there with milk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/people-want-national-championship-banners-people-want-to-talk-about/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [I started at a 'learn to swim' scheme when I was about five-years-old. I did it to learn water safety, but it was fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-tancock/i-started-at-a-learn-to-swim-scheme-when-i-was-about-five-years-old-i/) [Liam Tancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-tancock/) > [So, yeah, I'm going to try to win the national championship next year. But I'm not going to kill myself doing it. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geno-auriemma/so-yeah-i-m-going-to-try-to-win-the-national-championship-next-year/) [Geno Auriemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geno-auriemma/) > [The thing I wanted to focus on first was that I wanted to graduate, and (with me) coming back, I knew that I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/the-thing-i-wanted-to-focus-on-first-was-that-i-wanted-to-graduate/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [Being at NDSU and winning national championships, everyone's gunning for you. You got a big target on your back, and we had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-wentz/being-at-ndsu-and-winning-national-championships-everyone-s-gunning/) [Carson Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-wentz/) > [There is not that many players that really can take over games, signed Candace Parker, I really felt like at that time that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/there-is-not-that-many-players-that-really-can-take-over-games-signed/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [When you're are playing for the national championship, it's not a matter of life or death. Its more important than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duffy-daugherty/when-you-re-are-playing-for-the-national-championship-it-s-not-a/) [Duffy Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duffy-daugherty/) > [Everything about my life is about winning a national championship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-dake/everything-about-my-life-is-about-winning-a-national-championship/) Kyle Dake > [The success I had at UConn - you couldn't write it much better. Only losing five games, winning four national championships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breanna-stewart/the-success-i-had-at-uconn-you-couldn-t-write-it-much-better-only/) [Breanna Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breanna-stewart/) > [Nick Saban's legacy is already cemented. He's won six national championships and seven if you include the one in LSU.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/nick-saban-s-legacy-is-already-cemented-he-s-won-six-national/) [Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/) ## More by Bobby Bowden > [If their IQ's where five points lower they'd be geraniums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/if-their-iq-s-where-five-points-lower-they-d-be-geraniums/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [All my life, I've been right next to a football field. I never knew nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/all-my-life-i-ve-been-right-next-to-a-football-field-i-never-knew/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I was always going to church with my mom, dad and sister. I was literally raised under the godly influence both at home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-was-always-going-to-church-with-my-mom-dad-and-sister-i-was/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I guess I'll retire someday if I live that long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-guess-i-ll-retire-someday-if-i-live-that-long/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [Something has to happen that you can't coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/something-has-to-happen-that-you-can-t-coach/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [The thing that drives most coaches out of coaching in college is they get tired of the grind of recruiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/the-thing-that-drives-most-coaches-out-of-coaching-in-college-is-they/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I've never made football my priority. My priorities are my faith and my dependence on God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-ve-never-made-football-my-priority-my-priorities-are-my-faith-and/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [After you retire, there's only one big event left…and I ain't ready for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/after-you-retire-there-s-only-one-big-event-left-and-i-ain-t-ready/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [Faith is the most important thing in the world to me. It's the greatest strength I've had. It's helped me get through the hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/faith-is-the-most-important-thing-in-the-world-to-me-it-s-the/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [I'm not too proud to change. I like to win too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/i-m-not-too-proud-to-change-i-like-to-win-too-much/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [He died right after he retired, and seeing that made me feel more conscious of a man needing a motive to live. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/he-died-right-after-he-retired-and-seeing-that-made-me-feel-more/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [To have the kind of year you want to have, something has to happen that you can't explain why it happened. Something has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/to-have-the-kind-of-year-you-want-to-have-something-has-to-happen/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [You can live by biblical principles, and you can teach by those principles and still be a winner. So many coaches think you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/you-can-live-by-biblical-principles-and-you-can-teach-by-those/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/son-you-ve-got-a-good-engine-but-your-hands-aren-t-on-the-steering/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) > [During my last days at Florida State, 65 to 70 percent of my boys did not have a daddy at home. They're raised by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-bowden/during-my-last-days-at-florida-state-65-to-70-percent-of-my-boys-did/) [Bobby Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) [Explore all 48 Bobby Bowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-bowden/) ## More Championship quotes > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I have wrestled in almost every tournament in the world. I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [Generally speaking, ROH championship matches are hard fought and grueling, and the fans are really into it. The ROH Championship means a lot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/generally-speaking-roh-championship-matches-are-hard-fought-and/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [My whole thing when I got in the NBA was I want to win a championship. The mindset hasn't changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-adebayo/my-whole-thing-when-i-got-in-the-nba-was-i-want-to-win-a-championship/) [Bam Adebayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-adebayo/) > [In over 160 years of recorded baseball history, no team had ever won a championship this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-thorn/in-over-160-years-of-recorded-baseball-history-no-team-had-ever-won-a/) [John Thorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-thorn/) > [I probably should've listened to Michael a year ago when he said that Charles will never win a championship because he doesn't show any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-probably-should-ve-listened-to-michael-a-year-ago-when-he-said-that/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [One day we'll have championship boxing in Cleveland and people will support it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-porter/one-day-we-ll-have-championship-boxing-in-cleveland-and-people-will/) [Shawn Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-porter/) > [My biggest regret is that I wasn't able to help give our fans a championship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/my-biggest-regret-is-that-i-wasn-t-able-to-help-give-our-fans-a/) [Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/) > [Two beautiful women crashing and burning for the sake of the Women's Championship!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/two-beautiful-women-crashing-and-burning-for-the-sake-of-the-women-s/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [I got everything I wanted out of Texas. Obviously, you'd love to win more. You'd love to win a national championship and compete at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-bamba/i-got-everything-i-wanted-out-of-texas-obviously-you-d-love-to-win/) [Mohamed Bamba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-bamba/) > [When I wrestled Randy Orton, that was probably the biggest match of my career at that point, because that was when I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/when-i-wrestled-randy-orton-that-was-probably-the-biggest-match-of-my/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [The Russians have held my title for ten years and they're going to be in for it when I win the Championship. They're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/the-russians-have-held-my-title-for-ten-years-and-they-re-going-to-be/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [As you get older, every chance to win a championship is more crucial, because you are going to have less and less of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/as-you-get-older-every-chance-to-win-a-championship-is-more-crucial/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [It will be a hard game if you think about winning a championship. We need to think about our own game at the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/it-will-be-a-hard-game-if-you-think-about-winning-a-championship-we/) [Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/) [Browse all 1,448 Championship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/championship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As good as we were, we didn’t win a National Championship until 1993, mainly because we kept losing to Miami on missed kicks. I used to get mad because nobody else would play Miami. Notre Dame would play them, then drop them. Florida dropped them. Penn State dropped them. We would play Miami and lose by one point on a missed field goal, and it would knock us out of the National Championship. I didn’t want to play them, either, but I had to play them. 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