Badger of Honor
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Week one games of interest to Wisconsin football fans

By Tanner Nestle

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide (far left) drops back to pass during the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide (far left) drops back to pass during the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin Football - Michigan Football
ANN ARBOR, MI – NOVEMBER 04: Patrick Kugler #57 of the Michigan Wolverines and teammates get set to take the field before a college football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Michigan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

Michigan at Notre Dame

Saturday, September 1st

7:30 p.m. ET

The primetime game this weekend is a huge rivalry matchup and another one that will have the entire country watching. Wisconsin doesn’t play half of the participants of this one, but one of the games circled on Wisconsin’s schedule is against the Wolverines. Badger fans will be watching closely to see how new quarterback Shea Patterson looks.

If Notre Dame wins this one and continues on to have a great year, it could potentially impact Wisconsin’s chances of making the Playoff. But that’s more complicated to dissect.

Jim Harbaugh has received a lot of criticism during his tenure at Michigan. He hasn’t lived up to the hype and his quarterback play, his supposed specialty, has been disappointing. All of that is hopefully changing for the Wolverine faithful. Michigan has a defense that will be one of the best in the country and might finally have an offense to compliment it.

Wisconsin won a knockdown, drag-out game last year against the Wolverines at home. If it hopes to make it two-in-a-row against the fighting Harbaughs they’ll have to do it against a much better team.

That is if this year’s Wolverine’s team is even that much better than last year’s. A lot of Michigan’s success lies in Patterson’s hands. It’ll be almost entirely up to him whether Michigan is truly a national title contender, or will finish fourth in the Big Ten East yet again.

Next. Badger of Honor predicts Wisconsin's schedule. dark

Wisconsin fans should watch very closely. We’ll have a good idea by the end of this one of just how good Michigan will be, and just how tough that game in Ann Arbor will be.