It All Starts At Lambeau: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
Photo: Green Bay Packers
The wait is finally over. Notre Dame Football is ready to take the field.
And there is no easing into the 2026-2027 season at all.
The No. 4 Fighting Irish will open their season Sunday, September 6th, against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM ET, with the game airing nationally on NBC and Peacock.
It will be the 18th all-time meeting between Notre Dame and Wisconsin, with the Irish holding the 9-6-2 edge in the series. The most recent meeting came in 2021, when Notre Dame defeated the Badgers 41-13 at Soldier Field.
Notre dame’s new look backfield
The Irish will look to several guys to replace the production of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Notre Dame needs one player to become the next Love or Price.
Instead, expect to see multiple backs on Sunday while we see which players can consistently create yards against the Badger defense. Establishing the run game would be beneficial to taking pressure of CJ Carr’s shoulders and allowing the offense to control the pace of the game.
The battle in the trenches
Notre Dame’s defensive front enters the game as one of the biggest strengths of this roster. Wisconsin, meanwhile, has questions along its offensive line entering this matchup with injuries.
Which creates an important matchup.
If the Irish can generate consistent pressure without having to send extra defenders often, it could make life very difficult for Wisconsin’s quarterback Colton Joseph.
On the other side, Notre Dame’s offensive line will need to create running lanes and give CJ enough time to operate and get the ball out.
Whoever controls the trenches, will be very successful on Sunday.
Wisconsin’s offense
Wisconsin enters the season with a new-look offense led by Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph.
He brings mobility to the position and will be making his first start for the badgers against one of the best defenses in the country. Wisconsin will want to establish the running game and try to avoid putting Joseph in too many obvious passing situations.
That could make early-down defense especially important for Chris Ash and the Irish.
Notre Dame Everything
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Notre Dame Everything 〰️
a big test for notre dame’s secondary
Notre Dame’s secondary will have plenty to prove.
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell had this to say about Notre Dame All-American cornerback Leonard Moore, “The thing that I love about what it is that we do is, we make people do everything, so he'll have a chance to prove that he's the best in the country.”
The Irish have lots of experience and talent in the defensive backfield outside of just Leonard Moore. The Badgers will need to find ways to create explosive plays through the air if it wants to keep pace. The defensive backs will need to limit those big plays and tackle well in open space.
Doing that and creating a couple of early turnovers will be beneficial for a big time Irish win.
LAMBEAU field
Then there’s the setting.
This will be Notre Dame’s first game at Lambeau Field, which Wisconsin returns to the stadium for the first time since 2016. The Badgers defeated No. 5 LSU at Lambeau in their 2016 season opener, so they know what it’s like to create a memorable upset on this field.
The atmosphere will be great and the Irish look to make its own history at the venue with a huge season opener win.
What notre Dame needs to do
For the Irish, the formula is simple.
Protect the football.
Establish the run.
Win the trenches.
Make Wisconsin drive the length of the field.
But most importantly, avoid giving the badgers opportunities to stay in the game.
the bottom line
Notre Dame doesn’t have to look five months into the future on Sunday night. Just to simply focus on Wisconsin.
We shall see on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET on NBC.
