The National Media is Wrong About Wisconsin Football's Chances Against Notre Dame

The Badgers have to wait longer than nearly every program in the country to kick off their 2026 season.

The upside? They'll get a chance to show the country on national television just how far they've come after their worst season on the gridiron since 1990.

On paper, it doesn't look to promising for Wisconsin. Notre Dame is widely expected to roll Sunday night, and as per usual the Irish have managed to create a "team of destiny" narrative this offseason after getting snubbed from last season's College Football Playoff.

While the Badgers do appear to be trending in the right direction ahead of a critical year for the program, most believe that they're in the wrong place at the wrong time against a loaded and angry Notre Dame squad.

Predictions from a handful of prominent members of the national college football media wholeheartedly reflect that. Here's a few:

Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman (On3): Both pick ND to win/cover
Josh Pate (Yahoo, On3): ND to win/cover
J.D. PicKell (On3): ND, 27-10
Brandon Marcello (CBS Sports): ND win, Wisconsin covers
Tom Fornelli (CBS Sports): ND win/cover
Chris Hummer (CBS Sports): ND win, Wisconsin covers
Shehan Jeyarajah (CBS Sports) : ND win/cover
David Kenyon (Bleacher Report): ND, 30-17

Clearly, the national media foresees a grim outcome for the Badgers on Sunday. Each of the eight picks above has Wisconsin losing, although half of them do have it covering the 20.5-point spread.

Breaking down the national consensus ahead of Sunday night

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. | USA TODAY Sports

There appears to generally be two schools of thought here. Writers and analysts tend to believe Notre Dame is going to take Wisconsin behind the woodshed and, as the Irish have said all offseason, "leave no doubt."

If not, they think the Badgers' above-average defense keeps them in the game for longer than Notre Dame would like, leaving the door open for a potential back-door cover.

But for this game to be competitive? For the Badgers to really make the Irish sweat? That's not on anyone's radar.

Can Wisconsin prove the country wrong?

Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph. | Christian Borman.

The Badgers haven't notched a signature win yet under head coach Luke Fickell, but they've certainly gotten close. In 2024, Wisconsin nearly upset No. 1 Oregon, taking a 13-6 lead into the fourth quarter before ultimately falling by three points. In 2023, Fickell and company took Ohio State to the fourth quarter before the Buckeyes eventually pulled away.

Then, there's also been brutal shellackings, like last season's 34-0 home loss to Ohio State and the previous two Iowa games, which Wisconsin has lost by a combiend score of 79-10.

Nonetheless, Fickell has gotten close to that signature win before with teams that at least appear to have been less talented than the squad he has in 2026. He hasn't given the country much of a reason to think he can stun a team like the No. 4 Fighting Irish.

I do give Wisconsin more of a shot than the national media; I believe that while extremely unlikely, it's not completely outside the realm of possibility that they win. However, the national media has yet to see proof of concept in Madison; the lack of respect the Badgers are receiving is warranted.

Nonetheless, many folks are treating the Badgers like a sacrificial lamb in this game. They may not win outright, but I don't expect them to simply lie down and let the Irish walk all over them for 60 minutes, even if Notre Dame wins handily.

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