The talking is almost over. Now it’s time to put a score on it.
Notre Dame opens the 2026 season Sunday night against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, and expectations around the Irish aren’t exactly subtle. National championship or bust? Pretty close.
So how confident is the Fighting Irish Preview staff? The question isn’t who wins. It’s how convincing the Irish look doing it. Our crew sees everything from a comfortable opening-night win to a full-blown Lambeau beatdown.
And after the humans have their say, The Final Byte gets the last word—our analytics-driven prediction that takes the opinions out of it and lets the numbers make the pick.
The picks are in. Let the second-guessing begin.
Phil Houk – Senior Editor
Wisconsin may be playing in its home state, but I’m not sure even the ghosts at Lambeau Field will be rooting for the Badgers.
Curly Lambeau played at Notre Dame with George Gipp. Paul Hornung won the Heisman at Notre Dame before becoming a Packers legend. There’s plenty of blue-and-gold history floating around that stadium.
So if the ghosts come out Sunday night, Wisconsin shouldn’t count on them being friendly ones.
The Badgers will hang around for a while, but Notre Dame simply has too much talent and too much depth.
The Irish have had a long wait to start getting their revenge for last seasons CFP snub. Wisconsin just happens to be first in line.
Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Wisconsin 13
Caleb Conrad – Senior Intern
Notre Dame heads into this matchup after one of the most anticipated offseasons the Irish have seen in years. CJ Carr enters the season with Heisman expectations, and the defense has the potential to be one of the best in the country.
Wisconsin is coming off a disappointing season, but the Badgers added several players through the transfer portal. Quarterback Colton Joseph is the biggest addition. His dual-threat ability gives Notre Dame’s defense something to worry about.
If the Irish can contain Joseph and force him to beat them through the air, it could create opportunities for defensive takeaways.
Offensively, Notre Dame has plenty of options around Carr. The Irish may need some time to settle into the opener, but I expect them to take control.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Wisconsin 10
Jesse Craig – Webmaster
Notre Dame is favored by 20.5. The over/under is 47.5. Great teams cover big spreads in big ways.
The Irish defense will carry the day in the first game of the 2026 “Leave No Doubt” tour. But it will be complemented by a passing game that makes explosive plays and a run game that will make the preseason fence-sitters join the barbecue.
Leave no doubt.
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 9
Connor Fitzharris – Staff Writer
The season begins at Lambeau Field, and that alone makes this one fascinating.
Luke Fickell desperately needs a signature win after three disappointing seasons at Wisconsin. Fickell and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman know each other well from their time together at Cincinnati, and the Badgers are expected to be improved from last season.
Wisconsin will turn to Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph at quarterback, and his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs gives Notre Dame something to worry about in the opener.
Still, Notre Dame simply has more talent on both sides of the ball. The Irish may take a quarter or two to settle into the season, but CJ Carr and the Notre Dame defense eventually take control.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Wisconsin 14
Adam Schenkel – Producer/Audio Editor
I’m all-in on Notre Dame in 2026. I think the Irish run the table in the regular season at 12-0, and CJ Carr plays his way to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
It starts Sunday night at Lambeau Field. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few sluggish moments early as Notre Dame works through the usual first-game issues and Wisconsin feeds off the atmosphere. But eventually, the talent gap becomes obvious.
The Irish defense keeps Wisconsin from doing much offensively, Carr settles in, and Notre Dame takes control in the second half. This is the beginning of a special season in South Bend.
Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Wisconsin 10
AJ Houk – Photojournalist/Director of Brand Strategy
The Leave No Doubt Tour begins.
There’s plenty to be said about the strength of Notre Dame’s schedule this season, but it’s time to strap up and play football. No slipping. Pedal to the metal.
I expect Wisconsin to be tougher than people are giving them credit for, so don’t expect them to roll over. That said, this Notre Dame team has been chomping at the bit since its season ended early with the CFP snub.
A buzzsaw is coming to Lambeau Field, and it’s best to just get out of the way.
Carr shines. The defense shines. And the alma mater echoes through the hallowed halls of that stadium.
Prediction: Notre Dame 50, Wisconsin 13
The Final Byte
The Analytics Pick
The humans have spoken. Now let’s see what the numbers say.
The Final Byte combines national predictive metrics, betting-market data and matchup analytics to produce one final score—without considering any of the FIP staff picks.
For Sunday night, the numbers are remarkably consistent. SP+ projects Notre Dame by 22.7 points with roughly a 92% win probability, while the betting market has Notre Dame favored by about 20.5 points with an over/under of 47.5.
Put those numbers together and they point toward a familiar script. Wisconsin has enough to make things uncomfortable early, particularly with Colton Joseph’s ability to run, but Notre Dame’s advantages in talent, depth and overall efficiency should become increasingly difficult to overcome as the game goes on.
The numbers see a comfortable Notre Dame victory, an Irish cover and a Wisconsin offense held in check.
THE FINAL BYTE: NOTRE DAME 35, WISCONSIN 13