When Notre Dame circled its season-opening game against Wisconsin, it highlighted a matchup against a team that finished 2025 with a 4-8 record and a head coach whose seat was blazing hot. However, since the 2026 campaign kicked off, Luke Fickell’s squad has been a surprising ally for the Fighting Irish.
No, Fickell and the Badgers are not actively working with Marcus Freeman and Co., but the way they’ve played since the two teams faced off has been an unexpected boon. In a world where strength of schedule matters down the stretch, the game against Wisconsin is suddenly a much better win.
When Notre Dame took punches from the Badgers in the first half at Lambeau Field, the narrative was that, once again, Freeman didn’t have his team ready to play against an inferior opponent. However, in the second half, the Irish shifted into another gear, blew Wisconsin out 28-3 in the final two quarters, and posted the final 41-13 victory. Since that loss, Fickell’s squad hasn’t lost another game. Against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan, that wasn’t all that impressive. It was expected. Expectations, however, were that they would get beat down once they began their Big Ten schedule.
And then, the Badgers rallied from a 20-7 deficit to beat then-No. 13 Penn State, 24-20. In Happy Valley. Suddenly, a Notre Dame opponent that many people dismissed as another cupcake looks like it might be one of the better teams in the B1G. ESPN analytics give Wisconsin a 67% chance of winning this weekend against a reeling Michigan State team.
Wisconsin turnaround gives Notre Dame football another valuable College Football Playoff résumé piece
If the Badgers take care of business on Saturday and improve to 4-1, they could be ranked in two weeks when they face No. 23 UCLA. If they beat the Bruins? Not only will Fickell’s job be saved, but the Irish will also reap the benefits of a tougher schedule than any analysts believed before the 2026 campaign.
Ideally, Notre Dame will run through all 12 games and finish the regular season undefeated. However, with BYU, Miami, and SMU still on the horizon, the Irish could slip in at least three games. If they slip in all three, they’ll have no chance at the CFP, and they shouldn't.
However, with Wisconsin better than anyone expected, that blowout win could go a long way toward keeping Notre Dame in the race if they lose to the Hurricanes, BYU, or SMU and then win the rest of their games. The Fighting Irish started the year with lots of analysts talking about a cupcake-filled schedule. Wisconsin’s success undercuts those arguments and will continue to do so if Luke Fickell has truly turned his program around.
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