After a 10-game winning streak to end the regular season couldn’t get Notre Dame into last year’s College Football Playoff, the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish have vowed to leave no doubt about their worthiness this time.
That mission starts with avoiding the early stumbles that dull Marcus Freeman’s otherwise glittering coaching resume. Notre Dame has gone a combined 13-6 in pre-October games and 30-5 afterward over the last four seasons.
Notre Dame’s
two straight losses to open the 2025 season ended up costing the Fighting Irish a playoff bid. They begin this season against Wisconsin on Sunday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“This is all we’ve got,” Freeman said. “This is the most important game of the year. We will, after the game, reflect on how we played and look at what we have to do to prepare for the next one. But I don’t want to look at this as, ‘OK, this is just week one to see how we are as we go throughout the season.’ We’ve got to prepare because this is all we have.”
Notre Dame’s early losses last year came against eventual playoff participants Miami and Texas A&M, whereas Wisconsin is a three-touchdown underdog coming off back-to-back losing seasons. Then again, Notre Dame also was a prohibitive favorite when it lost September games to Marshall in 2022 and Northern Illinois in 2024.
Much is expected from Notre Dame this year with quarterback CJ Carr running the offense and All-America cornerback Leonard Moore leading a star-studded defense.
Wisconsin sees an opportunity to show that it’s not the same team that finished 4-8 last year. The Badgers added 34 transfers, including former Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph.
“We’ve got the confidence we can compete with anybody,” Joseph said. “I believe that if we stick to our keys, be ourselves and run our plays and do what’s necessary and execute, anything can happen.”
This is part of Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series in which the Irish play on neutral sites, often at NFL stadiums. Notre Dame has won all 12 of its previous series games, including a 41-13 victory over Wisconsin at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 2021.
This Lambeau Field matchup was supposed to take place in 2020. It got delayed due to the pandemic.
“Not every day or every week you get to play in an NFL stadium with some of the history that Lambeau has,” Freeman said. “I do want them to take a minute in pregame to take it in and look around, because I (will).”
Wisconsin is playing at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2016, when another unranked Badgers squad stunned No. 5 LSU 16-14 to set the tone for an 11-3 season.
“You look back at that 2016 team and how they upset LSU, it’s the same situation paying at Lambeau,” Wisconsin linebacker Cooper Catalano said. “I think we’ve got a great opportunity to kick-start the year.”
Opposing offenses often shy away from throwing the ball anywhere near Moore, who was one of three finalists last year for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy given to college football's top defensive player. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell indicated the Badgers won’t necessarily do that.
“We’ve got to not just think that we can’t go that direction,” Fickell said. “I’m not saying he’s not the best in the country. I’m not saying he’s not a top-two, three pick in the country. But the idea is you’ve still got to be able to run your offense.”
Notre Dame must replace the running back tandem of Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who both earned Associated Press All-America honors last season before getting drafted in the first round. Aneyas Williams is Notre Dame’s new first-team running back after rushing for 443 yards and averaging 7.6 yards per carry over the last two seasons.
Freeman is a former defensive coordinator who worked on Fickell’s Cincinnati staff from 2017-20. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli and receivers Mike Brown were on Fickell’s Cincinnati staff in 2021 when the Bearcats reached the playoff.
Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, defensive coordinator Chris Ash and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge are former Wisconsin assistants.
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