​Notre Dame football started its 2026 season off on the right foot, with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field for the Shamrock Series game.The opener showed us plenty about the Irish, and while the final score was impressive, there are more than a few areas that could see improvement. It’s a good start in Notre Dame’s pursuit to make the College Football Playoff, and it also quiets down the crowd regarding head coach Marcus Freeman’s early season struggles. It’s just one game, but it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen the Irish on the field after opting out of a bowl game last season. Here are my final thoughts on Notre Dame’s good win over Wisconsin to start the season. Can Notre Dame win the College Football Playoff?Notre Dame is going to just bulldoze teams this season. Not even close to how good they’ll be.— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) September 7, 2026After one week, the answer is no, and I might get a lot of slack for this, but there’s plenty of time for that to change. The schedule is set up so much better this year than last, with some fairly easy games early to get the new players feet wet. Wisconsin is better than some of the other early teams on the schedule, so there will be a bit of a drop off in talent, which should allow the Irish to get more acclimated as a team. Remember, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and Notre Dame has plenty of time to get to the front of the pack.Notre Dame’s running game found its groove in the second half Sullivan Absher has been terrific since inserted into the game at halftime. Watch him clear the way for Aneyas Williams here.I suspect he’ll be the starting right guard moving forward. pic.twitter.com/BJaj7OxofE— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) September 7, 2026It was not a pretty outcome for the Irish backs during the first half, as Aneyas Williams, Nolan James and Kedren Young all got carries and none of them were effective. That changed once the Irish made a switch on the offensive line, with Sullivan Absher being the spark. It very much looks like the coaching staff was still tinkering with the best five lineman, and they might have found it in the second half. It all starts up front, and those big guys did a great job opening holes, as Williams finished with 90-yards on 20 carries with two scores and James had 4 receptions for 67-yards and a score. Solid showing from the backs in this one. Notre Dame needs to release CJ CarrThis Notre Dame game reminds me of their opener last year. Notre Dame turned into screen university and finally opened up the offense too late against Miami.CJ Carr could be the best QB in college football and Denbrock has only let him 3 step drop all night. Let him ball.— Ben Belden (@coachbbelden) September 7, 2026This was something that I talked about during the live blog, Carr needs to be let go. He’s Notre Dame’s clear best offensive player, and it all revolves around him. Early in the season as the backs are still getting their fe