The 2026 college football season is officially underway for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are kicking things off today ranked No. 4 in the entire country. The offseason is finally in the rearview mirror, and the Fighting Irish are starting their campaign in a Shamrock Series showdown against the Wisconsin Badgers at iconic Lambeau Field.
No. 4 in the Nation, But What About the Field?
This isn’t just any regular season opener, folks. Notre Dame comes into this game as one of the undeniable favorites to hoist the national championship trophy this year. That’s a huge statement, a massive target on their back from day one. But as we all know, those trophies aren’t won on paper. Every single snap, every play, has to be earned out there on the gridiron. FanDuel Sportsbook isn’t mincing words either, laying out a truly wild line: Notre Dame is a massive 20.5-point favorite over Wisconsin. A spread like that against a Power Five opponent tells you exactly what the oddsmakers think about this Notre Dame squad heading into the year. It’s a statement, plain and simple, before the first whistle even blows.
Badgers Ready to Shock the World?
Now, let’s not just hand Notre Dame the game already. Yeah, Wisconsin has been through some rough patches over the last few years, but this is college football! You cannot, and I mean *cannot*, count out a team, especially one playing in a rivalry-esque atmosphere like this Shamrock Series matchup at Lambeau. The Badgers are going to show up, and you can bet they’ll put up a tremendous fight against the No. 4 ranked team in the country. They’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by pulling off an upset here. The total points over/under is set at 47.5 points, which feels a little low given the offensive firepower Notre Dame is expected to bring. Does that mean the oddsmakers are expecting a tough, grinding defensive battle, or a blowout where Notre Dame slows down late? We’re about to find out!
It’s finally here, the 2026 college football season has arrived for the Fighting Irish. Kickoff is slated for Sunday, September 6, at 7:30 PM EST (6:30 local time), and you can catch all the action on NBC and Peacock. Get ready for some football, because this season opener is going to be electric!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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