Wisconsin Badgers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Sunday night at Lambeau Field, with Notre Dame opening as the designated home team and Wisconsin unveiling its rebuilt roster on a neutral field. Colton Joseph is the main reason I want the points. He rushed for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns at Old Dominion in 2025, and Wisconsin has explicitly kept designed quarterback runs and improvisation central to its plans. His mobility gives Notre Dame a containment problem alongside the conventional rushing options of Abu Sama III and Darrion Dupree. I expect that combination to extend possessions and give Wisconsin enough offensive answers to remain competitive through four quarters. The other matchup supporting this ticket is Wisconsin’s returning linebackers against Notre Dame’s reshaped offense. Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano provide continuity while the Irish introduce a first-time starter at left tackle, move other linemen and establish Aneyas Williams in the leading backfield role. My judgment is that Wisconsin can interrupt the Irish rushing rhythm often enough to prevent this becoming a procession of scoring drives. Notre Dame’s late-season blowouts also need context: the Syracuse game included two interception-return touchdowns and a blocked-punt return. That scoring sequence is a poor baseline for the offensive possessions required tonight. Notre Dame’s strongest covering path is substantial. CJ Carr threw 24 touchdown passes against six interceptions in 2025 and retains his connection with Jordan Faison. If the Irish establish their running game, Carr can challenge Wisconsin’s reconstructed secondary without carrying every possession himself. Their offensive dominance against Stanford also shows that last season’s success extended beyond return touchdowns. Wisconsin’s defensive changes leave a credible route for Notre Dame to sustain scoring throughout the game. The assumption behind my bet is that Joseph’s running ability translates well enough against this defense to produce sustained possessions. His Old Dominion production establishes the threat; tonight’s effectiveness remains a judgment. Wisconsin’s right-side blocking is the unresolved matchup that could change my view. If Notre Dame consistently penetrates and contains Joseph without pulling help from coverage, Wisconsin’s offensive answers narrow considerably. I’m backing those answers to hold up often enough to stay inside this spread.