#4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Wisconsin Badgers - Week 1 Preview & Prediction

Marcus Freeman, CJ Carr & Leonard Moore Open the Season at Lambeau Field The Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Wisconsin Badgers is one of the most anticipated games of Week 1 of the 2026 college football season. Notre Dame and Wisconsin will meet on Sunday, September 6 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The matchup is part of Notre Dame's Shamrock Series and will be the first time the Fighting Irish have played at the historic home of the Green Bay Packers. For Marcus Freeman, this is an enormous opportunity to begin the 2026 season with a national statement. Notre Dame enters the year with legitimate College Football Playoff and national championship expectations, and the Irish will immediately face a Big Ten opponent in one of the most iconic stadiums in American sports. At the center of Notre Dame's championship hopes are CJ Carr and Leonard Moore. CJ Carr Leads Notre Dame Into 2026 The biggest offensive storyline entering Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin is CJ Carr. The junior quarterback returns as Notre Dame's starting quarterback after a strong 2025 campaign, and expectations surrounding CJ Carr are enormous. He has been named to the 2026 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, while recent preseason coverage has even identified Carr as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. For Marcus Freeman, having CJ Carr back is a massive advantage. Instead of entering the season with an inexperienced quarterback, Marcus Freeman has a proven leader who already understands Notre Dame's offense and what it takes to play quarterback for the Fighting Irish. Now, CJ Carr gets a massive stage. Lambeau Field. Primetime. Week 1. Wisconsin. This is exactly the type of environment where a quarterback can establish himself as one of the best players in college football. Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Has Championship Expectations Marcus Freeman enters his fifth season as Notre Dame's head coach, and the expectations around the program have never been higher. Notre Dame enters 2026 ranked No. 5 in the preseason Coaches Poll, according to recent coverage, following a 10-2 regular season in 2025. The message surrounding the program is clear: leave no doubt. That makes the Wisconsin game particularly important. Marcus Freeman knows his team cannot afford to overlook anyone, especially when the first game of the season comes against a Big Ten opponent in a nationally televised environment. Wisconsin also has plenty of motivation. The Badgers are playing in front of a massive regional crowd at Lambeau Field, and they have an opportunity to immediately derail Notre Dame's championship aspirations. For Freeman, this is the type of game where his team's preparation, discipline and physicality will be tested. Leonard Moore Anchors the Notre Dame Defense While CJ Carr will receive most of the attention on offense, Leonard Moore could be just as important on defense. Moore enters 2026 as one of the most highly regarded defensive backs in college football. He is a first-team preseason All-American according to multiple outlets and was selected to the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List alongside CJ Carr. That makes the CJ Carr and Leonard Moore combination incredibly important for Notre Dame. Leonard Moore's ability to cover receivers and make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks gives Notre Dame an important advantage. If Leonard Moore can help shut down Wisconsin's passing game, Freeman's defense can focus on stopping the Badgers' rushing attack and creating pressure. Moore also gives Notre Dame the ability to be aggressive in coverage. Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin: The Key Matchups The first matchup to watch is CJ Carr vs. Wisconsin's defense. Wisconsin will want to pressure Carr, disrupt Notre Dame's timing and force the Irish quarterback into difficult third-down situations. If Carr has time in the pocket, however, Notre Dame has the offensive talent to create explosive plays. The second major matchup is Leonard Moore vs. Wisconsin's passing attack. Wisconsin will need to find ways to move the football without allowing Leonard Moore to completely control the secondary. If Moore locks down his side of the field, Wisconsin could be forced to rely heavily on the running game. And then there's Marcus Freeman. The Notre Dame head coach has spent the offseason preparing for this exact moment. His team's ability to handle the unique atmosphere at Lambeau Field could be just as important as any individual matchup. The Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin game has everything you want from a Week 1 matchup: two historic programs, a legendary NFL stadium, a national television audience and major College Football Playoff implications. Watch Blitz With Blinder On More Platforms - https://t.mtrbio.com/JoshBlinder Blitz with Blinder Discord:   / discord