re: For the old-timers...when did Cholly Mac first get on the hot seat?

I agree with much of what has been said here. He was criticized from day one. His success his first year was widely attributed to having inherited a loaded team from Pepsodent Paul. He was also doomed to compare unfavorably in the judgment of many fans with his stylish and eloquent predecessor.

Even as he won many games in the sixties, he was criticized for being too focused on defense, too predicable on offense and too loyal to certain assistants. Plus, he had real trouble beating Ole Miss during Johnny Vaught's tenure and Alabama.

After several years of losing quarterbacks to injury (or in the case of Butch Duhe, death), he felt compelled to have a two quarterback system in place. That led to Bert Jones splitting time, even when he was thought by most fans to be the most exciting QB in a generation.

So, when the run of 9 win seasons ended with the extreme disappointment of the '74 season that I59 described quite well, the critics turned quite vocal very quickly.

Lest you think I'm advancing the Miles = Mac comparison that some have drawn, I would point out that Miles already has more SEC titles than Mac ever won, that Mac never won a MNC, that Miles has been very competitive against our top opposition, and has a much better overall record. That being said, if the tough times come, I fully expect the further criticism to mount as it did back then.