CJ Carr, Notre Dame pull away, beat Wisconsin in opener - ESPN

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Notre Dame is a popular pick to win its first national championship since 1988. After last year's snub, the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish are expected to return to the College Football Playoff and have a fairly easy path to get there.

But the games still must be played, and the outlook others have for the Irish — perhaps even what Notre Dame envisions for itself — doesn't always follow the script, such as during the first half Sunday night against three-touchdown underdog Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Notre Dame was sluggish, mistake-prone and fortunate to be leading. In the second half, the Irish followed coach Marcus Freeman's motto and left no doubt, overwhelming Wisconsin 41-13 to open the season.

«Sometimes, you don't believe it till you're in it,» Freeman said. «Like, I can sit here and tell you, 'You have to struggle to achieve what we achieved tonight,' but until you're in the middle of it, it's hard to understand it. So, I wanted to remind them that at halftime.… Don't assume the future's going to go in any direction. Just focus on what you have in the moment.»

Other than leading 13-10, the Irish held few statistical edges at halftime. Wisconsin outgained them 143-135 in yards, held them to 1.8 yards per rush and did not allow a third-down conversion. Quarterback CJ Carr completed just 9-of-16 pass attempts. Without improvement, a Notre Dame team that has suffered six of its 12 losses under Freeman in August or September, including an 0-2 start last season that ultimately closed the CFP door, could be headed for the same fate.

The second half showed a different Irish team, which used a flowing offense that compiled long touchdown drives on all three of its possessions, and a stifling defense that