Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/462058
IRISH ANALYTICS BRIAN FREMEAU T he first five years of the Brian Kelly era at Notre Dame have fea- tured a healthy dose of both highs and lows. The program ascended to the top of the national rankings and earned a berth in the BCS National Championship Game at the end of the 2012 season, but the Irish haven't been able to sustain elite success. A strong start in 2014 was followed by a frustrating and ugly four-game skid to end the regular season before the Irish rebounded with a victory over LSU in the Music City Bowl. Notre Dame won at least eight games in each of the last five seasons, notching a 45-20 record overall. Since 2010, the Irish have recorded more vic- tories in any five-year span than the program has enjoyed since the 1991-95 seasons (46-13-1) under Lou Holtz. Kelly's .692 winning percentage in South Bend is the nation's 18th best five-year Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record since the start of the 2010 season (see Table 1), and is 15th-best among major conference programs. It is a solid if not spectacular five- year record, but sustained elite suc- cess is the key to competing for na- tional championships. The four teams selected for the inaugural College Football Playoff this past season also happen to be the only four power con- ference teams that won more than 80 percent of their games against FBS op- ponents since 2010. Kelly's record cer- Five-Year Success Rate Is Good Predictor Since the start of the 2010 season, head coach Brian Kelly's .692 winning percentage at Notre Dame ranks 18th in the Football Bowl Subdivision and 15th among major conference programs. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA