From Ohio State to Cincinnati to Lambeau: Freeman, Fickell meet as head coaches

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Notre Dame will open its season Sunday night against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, and head coach Marcus Freeman is making no attempt to downplay the importance of Week 1.

Freeman called the matchup “the most important game of the season,” emphasizing the opportunity for the Irish to set the tone immediately against a Wisconsin team led by someone he knows exceptionally well.

Freeman and Badgers head coach Luke Fickell share a relationship that stretches nearly two decades. Fickell coached Freeman during his playing career at Ohio State, and the two later reunited at Cincinnati, where Freeman spent four seasons on Fickell’s coaching staff.

Now, for the first time, they will face each other as head coaches.

“I was fortunate enough to work on Luke Fickell’s staff for four years in Cincinnati, and what I know about him, and what you see on film, is his team is going to be tough and play physical, play aggressive,” Freeman said. “They’re going to be disciplined, and they are going to play until all 60 minutes.”

That familiarity gives Freeman a pretty good idea of what Notre Dame should expect Sunday night. At the top of the list: a physical battle.

Wisconsin named Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph its starting quarterback ahead of the opener. Joseph arrives after earning Sun Belt Player of the Year honors and gives the Badgers another dangerous element in the running game with his athleticism.

“We have to be prepared for a battle,” Freeman said. “They are going to want to run the ball and find different ways to run the ball. They obviously have a quarterback that was Player of the Year in the Sun Belt last year, and he’s as fast and athletic as anyone you’ll see on that team.”

Freeman stressed that Notre Dame must “expect the unexpected” from Wisconsin, including the possibility of trick plays and unconventional looks designed to keep the Irish off balance. For a Notre Dame team with championship expectations, Freeman sees Sunday night as an immediate measuring stick.

“It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” Freeman said. “A great way to see where we are as a program against a good opponent at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.”

And although the matchup is officially considered a neutral-site game, Freeman is not expecting Lambeau Field to feel particularly neutral. He said Monday he expects the crowd to be roughly split 50-50 between Notre Dame and Wisconsin fans, creating what should feel like a true road-game atmosphere for both sides.