FIW staff picks Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin and top Week 1 games

Notre Dame football will get its season started this weekend , but will have to wait for most teams to play before seeing the field themselves.

The Irish start off with the Shamrock Series game, against Wisconsin in Lambeau Field, which may or may not be an advantage for the "home" team. Luckily Notre Dame travels well, its a long weekend also so many fans well head up North for the 2026 opener.

There is plenty on the line for Notre Dame, mostly a trip to the College Football Playoff, and starting the season off on the right foot will be a step in that direction. First, we'll see a decent slate of Week 1 games, as the staff here at Fighting Irish Wire of Tim Healey, Sunny Verma, Kevin Smith and Michael Chen make their predictions for the best games of the real opening weekend along with how they each see Notre Dame's contest against Wisconsin turning out.

Boise State Broncos at No. 2 Oregon Ducks

Date: Sat., Sept. 5th, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. CDT on CBS

Healey - Ducks in a walk. Boise State can be frisky, but Oregon is a true national title contender.

Verma - Oregon wins soundly. Dan Lanning knows the last three national champions have been from the Big Ten, pressure is on the Ducks to be the fourth.

Smith - Ducks by a country mile. Boise State will have a solid team, but there's no doubting the talent that Oregon has this season.

Chen - Boise State's glory days are over, and they're still a solid program, but Oregon is a title contender and they'll show it on Saturday.

Date: Sat. Sept. 5th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. CDT on ABC

Healey - I wouldn't be shocked if an unranked Clemson stuns the Tigers, and LSU could be a candidate for underachievement this year. Then again, LSU is home. Bayou Bengals in a close one.

Verma - I'm taking Clemson only because it would be one of the greatest days in the history of social media if Lane Kiffin lost after all the drama he's been causing.

Smith - This might be a hot take but with all of the noise in and around LSU at the moment, I don't see the team being focused enough to win this game. I'll take Clemson.

Chen - Every year there is a team that's unranked that makes a run and it could be Clemson this season. They always recruit well, and there's some turmoil at LSU. The visiting Tigers upset the host Tigers.

No. 24 Louisville Cardinals at No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels

Date: Sun., Sept. 6th at 6:30 p.m. CDT on ABC

Healey - Louisville can be a thorn in the side of higher-ranked teams, but I don't see them getting past Ole Miss.

Verma - I think Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm is one of ten best coaches in America. But I don't think he can pull off this upset on the road. Ole Miss wins.

Smith - Those Pete Golding-led Rebels were fun to watch in the CFP last year, so I think that'll continue this season. Ole Miss will take this one.

Chen - Ole Miss has a roster that will compete for a conference title in the SEC, while Louisville will be a tier-1 ACC team, but probably won't win the conference. The Rebels start their season off in a big way.

No. 19 SMU Mustangs at Florida State Seminoles

Date: Mon., Sept. 7th at 6:30 pm. CDT on ESPN

Healey - SMU should be able to handle business here.

Verma - Absolutely nobody was impressed with what FSU showed in Week 0. I don't know if they're going to be that bad all season but I think SMU should be able to handle them.

Smith - FSU is off to a good start, but SMU should have this one without a problem.

Chen - With a Notre Dame interest in mind, we want SMU to win and stay ranked. Florida State hasn't found its groove again, and loses at home.

See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026

Wisconsin is probably good enough to upset Notre Dame, and the crowd will likely be on the Badgers' side, but I think a focused Notre Dame team that still stings from last year's playoff snub should come out on top. I do think Wisconsin will keep it close through three quarters before the Irish lock it down. Figure this one to end with a score that makes the game look closer than it was. Something like 24-14 Notre Dame.

The Badgers will be better than previous years (they almost have to be with the amount they invested in this year's roster) but I don't think they are going to put up much of a fight in Lambeau Field. CJ Carr introduces himself to the general public when it comes to the Heisman picture and Leonard Moore returns a pick-six in a 31-7 Notre Dame victory.

The Badgers are talented this year and I don't doubt they'll give the Irish a game, but Notre Dame seems to be another level of determination this season. With last year's CFP snub fueling Notre Dame, I can see the team pulling off a 31-17 win over Wisconsin.

Opening games have been tricky for Marcus Freeman, and the hope is that he's learned his lesson and the Irish can move past this. Wisconsin's roster is now filled with new transfers and recruits, a good portion of the team is new and that could spell trouble. Notre Dame teaks this one, but not as convincingly as we'd all like, 35-17.

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