Three Early Thoughts on Wisconsin's Huge Week 1 Showdown With Notre Dame

College football is officially back!

Well, at least for the 16 FBS programs that play in Week 0, anyway. The Badgers kick of the season on the Sunday night of Week 1; they have to wait longer than almost everyone in the country to get their 2026 campaign started.

Wisconsin has been preparing for the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish for quite some time. But still a few days out from game week, here's three early thoughts on the massive primetime showdown:

Pass-rush is the key for the Badgers

Wisconsin linebacker Sebastian Cheeks. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin's secondary is much improved from its mediocre self from last fall. The Badgers have upgraded the depth, length, speed and athleticism of their cornerback room, and the safety position looks deep and well-stocked with experience as well.

With that being said, I expect the Badgers' pass defense to be better in 2026. But if Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has time to sit back in the pocket and get the ball out cleanly, Wisconsin doesn't stand much of a chance.

Notre Dame's offense isn't stacked with terrifying eligibles, but it's so effective because of Carr's proficiency and Mike Denbrock's excellent scheme.

The Badgers need to crank up the heat on Carr to speed up his process and try to force him into mistakes. Sebastian Cheeks, Nick Clayton, Mason Posa — whoever brings the pressure doesn't matter. But Wisconsin absolutely must make Carr uncomfortable.

What does success look like?

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Is Wisconsin capable of winning this game? Absolutely. It's not out of the question, although I will say that the Irish -20.5 still feels a little generous to the Badgers.

Notre Dame has everything going for it heading into this game. The offseason hype. The Heisman candidate quarterback. The "leave no doubt" narrative after missing the College Football Playoff last season. They'll even have a good portion of the fan support in Green Bay, as it's technically a home game for the Irish and they have a heft allotment of the tickets for their own fanbase.

Are the Irish on a different playing field than the Badgers talent-wise? That's what we're about to find out. The recruiting rankings sure say so. But Wisconsin has worked hard to close the blatant talent gap it suffered from last season, and while they're still certainly a work in progress, the early returns look promising.

If Wisconsin fancies itself a contending Big Ten team, there's no moral victories even against a stacked national title favorite. But the Badgers must prove, at the very least, they belong on the same field as the Fighting Irish.

Don't overract

Head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football practice. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This game is obviously enormous. If Wisconsin were to somehow pull off the upset, it would immediately vault itself into national College Football Playoff hype and Luke Fickell would quell the hot seat chatter immediately. But the fact of the matter is that this game means way more for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame has championship aspirations this fall. A Week 1 loss, to a team not many expect to be particularly dangerous, would put a serious damper on that.

The Badgers, meanwhile, just want to get back to respectability. A loss to a top five team in Week 1 certainly wouldn't feel great, but Wisconsin isn't built to knock off national title contenders this fall. The Badgers are looking for a winning season, first and foremost.

That is to say, Wisconsin can still accomplish everything it wants to this season if it loses to Notre Dame. The Irish may not be able to say the reciprocal.

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