I think Saban would be allowed a mediocre season or two. He's earned the benefit of the doubt as Bear had.

Here's a fun SI article from October 1969:
LINK

quote:
LIKE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE HAS LEARNED THAT DEFENSE IS GONE WITH THE WIND AND THAT IF YOU WANT TO WIN YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A PASSER AND SOME BOYS WHO CAN CATCH AND RUN

quote:
Yes, indeed, there's a wild new game in town, something called pitch and catch, and they are piling up the points so quickly it hardly pays to wave a Confederate flag at the enemy anymore. Just when you get your arm moving real good, the other guys have scored and are waving their flags right back. Last week, for instance, in eight games involving SEC teams, 472 points were scored. There hasn't been that much offense generated in the South since Sherman. When the late General R. R. Neyland was coaching, for example, Tennessee only gave up 485 points—in 14 years. "Football is nothing more than a series of actions, mistakes and miscalculations," Neyland preached. "Punt and let your opposition make the mistakes. Most of them will feel that possession of the ball is to be desired above everything else. I disagree."

It was the era of Archie Who.

The article linked above was published shortly after Archie took Bama to the wire but fell just a little short. Saturday night in prime time on national TV (ABC) at Legion Field. The very first time a SEC game was broadcast in prime time to the nation.

LINK

Bama lost to Vandy the very next week. Ole Miss lost one more game that season... to the Houston Cougars.