Kickoff: Sunday, September 6 at 6:30 PM CT
Location: Lambeau Field
TV: NBC
DraftKings line (Aug. 30): ND -20.5
Over/under: 47.5

The setup

This will be Wisconsin’s second game at Lambeau Field. The first was a 16-14 upset of No. 5 LSU in 2016, and the only other college game played there was St. Norbert-Fordham in 1983 – this is rare turf even before No. 4 Notre Dame arrives.

What I’m watching

The biggest test is whether Wisconsin can move the ball without living in third-and-long. Wisconsin’s offense ranked No. 127 nationally at 5.0 yards each time it snapped the ball; Notre Dame’s defense ranked No. 11 and allowed only 5.1. Only 3 starters from that offensive unit return, so the old ranking may not carry cleanly into 2026. 8 starters from that defensive unit are back, so the old ranking still matters. That is the matchup most likely to tilt field position.

Personnel snapshot

• Wisconsin: Luke Fickell enters Year 4 as head coach. 4 starters return—3 on offense and 1 on defense. Key offensive linemen back include Colin Cubberly and Emerson Mandell. Wisconsin’s offense averaged 253.1 yards and 12.8 points per game last season.
• Wisconsin quarterback: Colton Joseph is projected to start for Wisconsin. Last season at Old Dominion, he threw for 2,624 yards, 21 TD and 10 INT.
• Notre Dame: Marcus Freeman enters Year 5 as head coach. 14 starters return—6 on offense and 8 on defense. Key defenders back include Jason Onye, Jaiden Ausberry, and Drayk Bowen. Notre Dame’s defense allowed 313.5 yards and 26.8 points per game last season.
• Notre Dame quarterback: CJ Carr returns as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback. Last season, he threw for 2,741 yards, 24 TD and 6 INT.

Three quick analysis points

• The fourth-quarter swing: The last Wisconsin-Notre Dame game was tied 10-10 after three quarters. Notre Dame then won the fourth quarter 31-3 and the game 41-13, turning a coin flip into a blowout in about 15 minutes.
• The roster reset: Wisconsin added 34 transfers, third-most in the Big Ten, and projects as many as 11 new starters. The Badgers are wearing one of college football’s most familiar uniforms while effectively introducing half a lineup on Sunday night.
• The quarterback angle: New Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph was one of only two FBS quarterbacks to throw for 2,000 yards and run for 1,000 last season. Notre Dame is not preparing for a normal pocket passer; it has to defend a full running back’s season attached to the quarterback position.

How the game is decided

Joseph needs to rejuvenate the Wisconsin offense, which must be able to control the line of scrimmage at times to stay ahead of the chains. Notre Dame needs to avoid big mistakes. The Irish are the better team on paper — don’t give the Lambeau crowd hope.

Prediction

I make final predictions on my TikTok/YouTube/Instagram/Facebook pages @uthinkuknowsports.

Full disclosure: I use AI tools to format my research into an article encompassing all of the information.