#6 Notre Dame (3-0) at

#14 Wisconsin (1-1)

Noon EST
Soldier Field, Chicago
FOX
Wisconsin -6.5 — O/U 45

This isn’t a rivalry, but it’s going to feel like one. Scheduling this game to be played in Chicago was brilliant, because both fan bases should be equally represented and will be rabid for their team’s success on the field. Add to that the drama of Notre Dame QB Jack Coan, the one-time Wisconsin starter and presumed Davy O’Brien candidate who lost his starting job to Graham Mertz following a preseason foot injury. Now Coan is the unquestioned leader of Notre Dame’s offense and will be lining up across from some of his best friends on Wisconsin’s defense.

And that defense is really the difference in this game. The Badgers just don’t give up many yards or points. Sure, there have only been two games, but one of those was against top competition in Penn State, and the Nittany Lions had to claw for all of their 297 yards and 16 points. Notre Dame, meanwhile, has been in two dogfights — against Florida State and Toledo, neither of which strike fear in the heart of the college football landscape. The two-touchdown win over Purdue also felt a lot closer than it was. Notre Dame is winning, but it’s not really dominating its opponents. It feels like the Irish are playing to the level of their opponents — and that will be a problem against Wisconsin.

I’d love nothing more than to see Coan get the upper hand against his former teammates, and I do expect him to have some success moving the ball on a few sustained drives. But without a rushing attack — and there won’t be much of one against this Badger defense — the Irish will be limited to pass, pass and more pass. It won’t be much different when Wisconsin has the ball, because Notre Dame’s defense is also pretty good. But when two good defenses face off in a game of this magnitude, it’s always wise to side with the one likely to make a play or two that will change the momentum. That slides the scale in Wisconsin’s favor.

Prediction: Wisconsin 23, Notre Dame 20

Result: Most of the game was a back-and-forth affair, though Notre Dame seemed to slightly outplay the Badgers. But in the fourth quarter the rails came off for Wisconsin. The Irish scored on a kickoff return and got two pick-sixes to make this look like a blowout. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the score indicates, though it’s hard to believe that Notre Dame was ever a six-point underdog. The bad news for the Irish? Jack Coan went out with an injury in the third quarter. The good news? His backup, Drew Pyne, led the Irish effectively in his absence, including on one touchdown drive. (Plus, Coan is expected back next week against Cincinnati.)

Record:
This week: SU – 51-16; ATS – 27-30-1; O/U – 22-35-1
Overall: SU – 198-44; ATS – 82-88-4; O/U – 77-94-3

(Results in parentheses)

* — at Soldier Field, Chicago
* — Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
*** — at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta