Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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"He's on a very cold seat," Swarbrick told Notre Dame student reporters Mary Green and Greg Hadley. "… I think the foundation of the program is as strong as it's been in my seven years here. In terms of the quality of the players, the depth, the services that support football — in terms of strength and conditioning, nutrition, medical services, our facilities — the foundation is in great shape." Moreover, Swarbrick told the publica‑ tion that Kelly's 44‑20 record prior to the Music City Bowl versus LSU Dec. 30 gen‑ erally fulfilled an initial five‑year plan he envisioned. "[We've had] a national coach of the year, a national championship game and some very key victories," Swarbrick said. "We'd all like to win a national cham‑ pionship, but if you told me five years ago when we made the decision, 'Here's what you're going to accomplish, and here's what your record is going to be,' I would be okay with that, notwithstand‑ ing the struggles of the second half of this season." Swarbrick also acknowledged in the interview that as only a partial football member in the Atlantic Coast Con‑ ference, Notre Dame's lack of a conference championship game could put the Irish at a disadvantage in the playoff selection process. This year, Big 12 members TCU and Baylor both had 11‑1 records — but with their league lacking a conference championship game, Ohio State leapfrogged them for the fourth and final playoff spot because of their 59‑0 annihilation of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game that improved its record to 12‑1. Without that potential 13th game, Swarbrick said it is imperative that Notre Dame's 12‑game regular season schedules remain strong. "We have got to make a compelling case for our inclusion," Swarbrick told The Observer. "… Our job is to make sure our 12 games create a compelling enough story, relative to the selection committee's analysis, that they will still be comfortable picking us, notwithstanding the absence of a 13th game." UNDER THE DOME Vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick is pleased with the progress shown by Kelly (above) in his first five sea- sons in South Bend. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA