re: Could a major college football coach survive Bear Bryant's 1969 and 1970?

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What you are asking is if a coach with 3 national titles, 4 conference titles, and 9 top-10 finishes in the last 10 years would survive 2 seasons with merely winning records.

You are living in a fantasy world if you think they wouldn’t.

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It's not a fantasy world.... its the world we live in now. And its more than just '69 and '70. There were several disappointments in '67 and '68

Yes, Bryant crushed it up through 1966... but then he hit a bump in the road:

1967: Tied Florida State (before FSU was anything). Lost to rival Tennessee. And then closed the season with a Cotton Bowl loss to mediocre Texas A&M (7-4).

1968: Lost to Ole Miss. Lost to Tennessee. Destroyed in the Gator Bowl by Missouri by 25 points.

1969: Finished 6-5 including an embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt. Lost to LSU and also to main rivals Tennessee and Auburn. Finished the year with a 14-point loss in the Liberty Bowl to Colorado.

1970: Finished 6-5-1. Was destroyed in Week 1 by USC at Legion Field. Lost to Ole Miss, LSU, and again to rivals Auburn and Tennessee. Tied Oklahoma in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

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By the end of 1970...

*Bama had compiled a 12-11-1 record during its previous 24 games.
*Bama had lost two straight to rival Auburn
*Bama had lost four straight to rival Tennessee
*Bama had lost two straight to Ole Miss
*Bama had lost two straight to LSU
*Bama had gone 0-3-1 in its most recent four bowl games

Yes, I think even someone with Bear Bryant's pedigree would be politely asked to step down if this were to occur in this day and age.

Heck, look at Les Miles.