Wisconsin will open their season in 2026 against a potential playoff team, and the national media isn't giving the Badgers much of a chance.
Notre Dame will visit Wisconsin up at Lambeau Field on September 6, and the Badgers will be big underdogs after a disappointing 4-8 season. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford laid out his thoughts for the game, and it's safe to say he's not very confident in Wisconsin's chances.
This being one of the Fighting Irish's toughest games of the season shows you just how advantageous Notre Dame's path to the CFP will be this fall. Wisconsin is not where it wants to be as a program under Luke Fickell, a leader in the crosshairs of his administration and boosters after consecutive losing seasons. He's 17-21 overall since leaving Cincinnati as one of the nation's fastest-rising coaches. And what does Notre Dame have to do to get a home game to begin the season? This marks the sixth straight year the Fighting Irish have opened away from South Bend -- not that it will matter. We're expecting Notre Dame to dominate much of its slate. Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 10
Badgers aren't getting much of a chance against Notre Dame
Head coach Luke Fickell is in a critical year with Wisconsin, and his leash is about as short as it can get. Anything less than a bowl appearance will be another huge failure for the Badgers, and the university will almost certainly move on. So while starting against the Fighting Irish could start the season with a bang, it could also out the Badgers in a hole right off the bat.
Early odds put the Badgers as 16.5-point underdogs to Notre Dame despite having 'home-field' advantage, and CBS see things getting even uglier than that. Still, even with a loss, the schedule is much more palatable in 2026 than it was in 2025. Wisconsin will avoid Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana and Oregon this season, and still could be looking at a seven or eight win season even with a likely loss to the Irish.
So while no one is giving the Badgers a chance against Notre Dame, this season's schedule gets remarkably easier after week one. It might get ugly up at Lambeau, but the season is long and Wisconsin won't have to go through the top four teams in the conference.