Early Look: How Much Should Notre Dame Worry About Wisconsin?

Notre Dame's 2026 schedule doesn't allow for many mistakes; the Irish must be fully engaged and ready to play, starting with a trip to historic Lambeau Field vs Wisconsin.

Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman sings the Alma Mater after beating the Boise State Broncos at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Notre Dame's 2026 schedule is interesting.

On the surface, it appears as though the Irish have an easier start to the slate than they have had in recent years.

The first game of the year isn't against a top ten team with theoretical playoff implications like the last two seasons have been against ultra-talented rosters like Miami or Texas A&M, but rather a fun trip to historic Lambeau Field to take on the Wisconsin Badgers.

Notre Dame must respect Wisconsin and be ready to play

One of the most frustrating parts about the 2025 season was that Notre Dame finished the season playing just as good of football as anyone in the country, evidenced by the 10-game winning streak, but due to the 0-2 start, the Irish weren't a playoff-worthy team.

This experience is a great reminder of just how much each game matters in the shortest regular season of any sport.

Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has shown that it is a program that plays better as the season moves along. There have been some tough matchup early season losses, as well as some inexplicable September slip-ups against some lesser-talented teams that have proven to be costly. This all must change in 2026.

For 2026 to be a success, Notre Dame needs early-season success. The Irish don't have to play perfect football, just winning football, as the 2026 team finds itself early in the year.

Wisconsin has struggled under Luke Fickell, with last year's record being 4-8, and questions about his employment status dominated headlines in the second half of last year.

Notre Dame showed vulnerability early in seasons under Marcus Freeman; in no way can the Irish take the Badgers lightly. Notre Dame must fully respect this opponent and prepare effectively and efficiently for this critical matchup.

Wisconsin just got their first win over a ranked team since 2021.

Their leading passer was their kicker 😳 pic.twitter.com/weQbGA5ilF

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) November 9, 2025

While the Irish must respect Wisconsin, they should enter the game with confidence

The first game of every football season is over-analyzed more than any other simply because there are eight months to dissect it from every angle.

While Notre Dame must respect the Badgers, the Irish are a program that has been operating at a different level than Wisconsin, and its ok to feel confident, not cocky, entering this moment.

This is a fine line to walk, but one that Notre Dame needs to get better at navigating moving forward. If 2025's schedule wasn't CFP worthy at 10-2, there's no way 2026's will be. Notre Dame cannot afford to lose any games it's expected to win, starting with this late summer showdown in Lambeau.