On Sunday, we may see the team with the most hype coming into this season, Notre Dame, face off against Wisconsin in Green Bay. The Irish, whose season ended last year while watching a selection show, look to show off their Heisman-hopeful quarterback, CJ Carr, whom many analysts believe is the No. 1 quarterback in the entire country.
Meanwhile, for the Badgers, this seems to be a make-it-or-break-it year for head coach Luke Fickell, who is coming off a very disappointing 4-8 season. So, while the odds are almost telling you Notre Dame is going to win, let me tell you why it might be a bit closer than you think.
Evaluating the Irish
First, for Notre Dame: There is no question that CJ Carr is an elite quarterback. In 2025, Carr threw for over 2,700 yards paired with 24 touchdowns — oh, by the way, he did this while also handing off the ball to not one, but two first-round draft picks in the backfield.
Yet, when you read that again, it means that Carr has lost a lot of production and his safety blankets behind him in the backfield. Still, the Irish bring back two elite receivers in Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison. With all of this being said, though, as good a coach as Marcus Freeman is, he has had issues with early-season games — such as last year with Miami and Texas A&M, or the year before with NIU.
So, is Wisconsin good enough to take advantage of this?
The Badgers' Counter Punch
Here's what I think: There is no question Wisconsin is not the team they were in the 2010s. However, this year is different than the last two for the Badgers.
It's money!
After a disappointing 2025 in which many people were calling for Fickell's job, the University decided to go all out for 2026 instead of firing him, pledging a significant increase in NIL spending for the program. For this season, the Badgers brought in a record 33 transfers to revamp this roster. Headlining this transfer class is Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph, who was the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.
The Verdict
With all this being said, Notre Dame will win, but it may be closer than some will think.
The Pick
Final Score Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Wisconsin 20.