This firing reminds me of the Big Game in 1956, when Cal was heading into the game with a 3-6 record, and was a heavy underdog to Stanford and All-American QB, John Brodie. Pappy Waldorf had several very successful years at Cal, in the days of unlimited substitutions. Waldorf was adept at using this rule to scheme substitutions. Cal had a big team, suiting up 100 players or more for home games, and Waldorf substituted freely. But in 1953, the NCAA adopted single-platoon football, where teams were allowed to substitute only one player between plays, and a player could only enter a game once per quarter. Waldorf's Cal teams had 0.500 seasons and two losing seasons, and rumors were that Pappy would be fired after the 1956 season.
Waldorf beat the admin to the punch by resigning the week before the Big Game. Support for Pappy among players and fans was very high. The Cal band went to Pappy's home and serenaded Pappy (who was in his pajamas). The Cal team was sky high for the Big Game, and led by third string sophomore QB, Joe Kapp, Cal defeated the heavily favored Stanford team, 20-18.
The firing of MacIntyre the week before this game could be a dumb move. If MacIntyre is well-liked by his players, like Pappy was at Cal, it is very possible Colorado may be really up for this game, and will have more to play for than they might have had. If that is the case, I hope the Bears are ready for a fired-up opponent.
SFCityBear