Notre Dame enters Week 1 looking like a team with unfinished business, and the setup against Wisconsin gives the Fighting Irish a clean runway to open the season the right way.
That’s a sharp contrast from 2025, when Notre Dame stumbled out of the gate 0-2 with losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Even after winning the rest of its games, those two early defeats were enough to knock the Irish out of the College Football Playoff.
This year, the expectations are higher. Notre Dame is not just chasing a playoff spot again - it’s being mentioned among the favorites to win the national championship.
The biggest reason for that optimism is the roster returning around CJ Carr. Notre Dame will go as far as Carr takes it this season, and the numbers from last year show why the spotlight is on him.
He completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. With Jeremiyah Love no longer in the backfield, the Irish need Carr to shoulder even more of the offense.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, comes into the matchup with more questions than answers. The Badgers’ underlying numbers last season were rough, including a 121st ranking in offensive success rate and a 97th ranking in defensive success rate. They do bring back plenty of production, but there’s still skepticism about whether the transfer portal additions were enough to meaningfully change the trajectory.
At quarterback, Wisconsin is turning to Colton Joseph. His profile at Old Dominion was a mixed bag: he completed 59.7% of his throws, but made his biggest impact on the ground, rushing for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns. The question now is whether that rushing production can translate to a power conference setting.
The overall picture tilts heavily toward Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were one of the best teams in the country last season despite missing the playoff, and with a nation-leading 72% of production returning, they have every reason to expect another elite run. Against a Wisconsin team still trying to climb out of last year’s statistical hole, Notre Dame should have the edge from the start.
In Other News...
Wisconsin True Freshmen Are Already Forcing Their Way Into Week 1
With a 2026 freshmen class that checks in at just 13 players and an offseason plan built more around transfers, Wisconsin still appears to have a couple of true freshmen carving out real roles before the season even settles in. Luke Fickell singled out cornerback Donovan Dunmore and tight end Jack Sievers as players who could help right away on special teams, which is often the quickest path for young Badgers to get on the field and into the weekly conversation.
Ryan Hopkins and Kash Brock have also drawn attention in practice, giving Wisconsin a little more intrigue at two positions where every promising young rep matters. Their immediate playing time is less certain, but the fact that both have already stood out in camp says something about the way this freshman group is pushing for relevance despite its small size and the roster churn around it. [Read more 🡒]
MarShawn Lloyd Brings Unexpected Notre Dame Heat To Lambeau Week
As Wisconsin gets set for its matchup with Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, one Packers teammate has already picked a side. MarShawn Lloyd, now in Green Bay after his time at USC, made it clear he still carries some lingering irritation from the Trojans' loss to the Fighting Irish during his 2023 season, and he plans to be pulling for the Badgers in this one.
Lloyd also added a little locker-room spice to the occasion by talking up a friendly wager with Aaron Banks, who played at Notre Dame. It is a small subplot compared with the game itself, but it gives Lambeau Week a bit of extra edge for Wisconsin fans, especially with a former USC back in the Packers' orbit taking their side for once. [Read more 🡒]
Badgers Hockey Is Getting A Rare Lambeau Field Spotlight
Wisconsin hockey is set for a showcase few college programs ever get, with a doubleheader at Lambeau Field on Feb. 20 that puts the mens team against Michigan and the womens team against Ohio State. For a program that already carries plenty of in-state weight, the chance to play on one of the sports most famous football stages adds a different kind of spotlight, and it brings college hockey back to Lambeau for the first time since 2006.
Tickets are slated to go on pre-sale Sept. 9, with general sales opening Sept. 11, giving Badgers fans an early chance to circle one of the more unusual dates on the winter calendar. The matchup itself has the kind of built-in appeal that fits the setting, and the broader event gives Wisconsin a rare opportunity to showcase both programs in front of a marquee crowd before the real weather of hockey season even settles in. [Read more 🡒]