Heisman favorite CJ Carr leads a dominant Notre Dame squad into Lambeau Field, seeking to extend their double-digit win streak against a revamped Badgers offense in this high-stakes opener.
Notre Dame kicks off the 2026 season this weekend when it takes on the Wisconsin Badgers. It will be the first chance Irish fans have to see what this team looks like after it had to replace key players from last year's team. Notre Dame enters the 2026 season on a 10-game win streak, and each of those games was won by at least 10 points.
Notre Dame hopes to be just as dominant in 2026 as it was during the second half of last season.
Location: Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wis.)
Date: Sunday - September 6
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Network: NBC/Peacock
Line: Notre Dame -20.5 - O/U: 46.5
Here are the Irish Breakdown staff predictions for this game:
BRYAN DRISKELL
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 6
I do expect things to be a bit sloppy and slow early on as the Notre Dame offense looks to break in a lot of new starters and the defense has to adjust to a Wisconsin offense that will look much different with quarterback Colton Joseph. He's a dynamic run-throw player that can do things Wisconsin hasn't had at quarterback in quite some time. The defense will adapt quickly and shut down a Wisconsin offense that lacks big time playmakers outside of the quarterback. The key on offense is getting the remade offensive line going early against a massive Wisconsin front that is opening up room for a pair of talented linebackers to work.
Irish quarterback CJ Carr should have a big day against Wisconsin, as long as he gets time to throw. The Badgers were a quality pressure squad last season, but the secondary doesn't match up well the Notre Dame pass catchers. If Carr gets time to throw that unit should have a strong start to the season. Once that gets going the Irish should roll, and I see them pulling away with a convincing victory.
TREVOR TROWBRIDGE
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Wisconsin 10
There's been a lot of anticipation building for this first matchup with the Badgers. It's been over 270 days since we've seen the Irish take the field, and thankfully that comes to an end this weekend. With that being said, it's still the first game against a new-look offense. It won't take long for the Irish to gain some traction against Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph, but the defense is going to have to be ready to make some adjustments on the fly. Once they do, Wisconsin is going to struggle to move the football, especially with their injury-riddled offensive line. Notre Dame kicks off their season in dominant fashion led by a strong performance by Heisman favorite CJ Carr.
VINCE DEDARIO
Prediction: Notre Dame 42, Wisconsin 10
We finally made it to real Notre Dame football. We have not seen a game since Thanksgiving weekend and we deserve to see the Irish on the gridiron. Obviously when this game was announced almost a decade ago it was more of a powerhouse matchup. Thanks to Covid and everything else in between this is what we get. It is a good first for a Notre Dame team that has high expectations. They are favored by three touchdowns but CJ Carr and Co. will see to it that the Vegas odds makers are low on that prediction. The defense will cause multiple turnovers and even though Wisconsin has a stout defense, the offense will push the ball across the goal line both on the ground and through the air. We should get to see the first number two QB just into the fourth quarter.
ANDREW McDONOUGH
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Wisconsin 13
Notre Dame kicks off the 2026 season with a blowout win over Wisconsin. The Fighting Irish have had to stew on the CFP snub for month's and get to take out an offseason's worth of frustration on a banged-up Wisconsin team. Expect Notre Dame to start fast, with the defense forcing a couple early turnovers to give the offense short fields. QB CJ Carr will have an efficient start to the season and throw for 250 yards and 2 scores, while four Notre Dame running backs rush for over 30 yards. The talented freshman class is on full display as well, with Joey O'Brien snagging his first interception, Rodney Dunham notching his first career sack, and Javian Osborne scampering for a touchdown. The starting Irish defense will only surrender field goals, with the Badgers punching in a late score against the backups.
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