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

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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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You're referring to the Scott Hunter years when, for no known reason, Coach Bryant jumped the reservation and went "offense first" crazy with a wide open passing attack....probably in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest brain cramp in history (4 years!).
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