Notre Dame is ...

 ... over-hyped as usual.

... pretty damn good, maybe.

... not 0-1 at least.

After last night in Lambeau Field, any and all of the above apply.

Against Wisconsin, decked out in what looked like Indiana University tribute uniforms -- all red -- the Irish chugged to a 13-10 halftime lead, leaving no doubt (to use head coach Marcus Freeman's current mantra) that they were again another cardboard cutout posing as the No. 4 team in the nation.

Ah, but in the second half ...

In the second half, they really did leave no doubt.

Put together cross-country excursions of  70, 75 and 88 yards. Got three touchdowns from their re-tooled running game, Aneyas Williams and Noah James. Got 133 yards and a touchdown from presumptive Heisman Trophy candidate C.J. Carr, who was 10-of-13 passing in the second half after looking startlingly pedestrian in the first half.

Oh, yes: And Notre Dame outscored Wisky 28-3 to blow out the Badgers 41-13. Which is kinda what you're supposed to do when you're the No. 4 team in the nation playing a team that was an un-Wisconsin-like 4-8 last year.

So there you have it: The Irish are over-hyped as usual ... no, wait, pretty damn good, actually ... well, at least not 0-1.

The last is especially relevant, because early losses have haunted the Golden Domes the last couple of seasons, and flat-out wrecked them in 2025. An 0-2 start with close losses to Texas A&M and Miami doomed Irish chances to reach the College Football Playoff, even if they were playing some of the best ball in the country by the end of the season.

The CFP snub was followed by the Irish declining to play a bowl game, which frankly made them look like the we're-Notre-Dame-and-you're-not elitists the Notre Dame haters think they are. And then when the buzz started up around this year's team ...

More fuel to the haters' fire.

Because, listen, when you lose two premier running backs (Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price) to the NFL and some folks are saying this team actually could be better -- like, national-championship better -- more than just he haters are going to raise a skeptical eyebrow. And raise it even higher after watching the Irish in the first half last night.

Second half?

That looked like the Notre Dame some were promising.

How promising?

Beats me. Did they look like a team that could bring home Notre Dame's first national title in 38 years? Maybe. Possibly. Was one sparkling half against an outmatched opponent a sufficient sample size to determine that?

Maybe. Possibly.

But probably not.

And so, as ever ... onward.