Football returns to Lambeau Field a week sooner than expected, but you won't be seeing cheeseheads fill the stands.
No. 5 LSU and Wisconsin will face off in the Carmex Lambeau Field College Classic in a rematch of the thrilling season opener from two years ago.
The Tigers get a chance at a statement win to set the tone for their season and running back Leonard Fournette can start his Heisman campaign off with a bang, while the Badgers are seeking revenge for the heartbreaking 2014 loss. A win for Wisconsin would launch them into the Big Ten title conversation.
MORE: Biggest questions heading into Week 1
Here's how you can watch LSU-Wisconsin, and the keys to victory for both teams.
LSU vs. Wisconsin: Time, TV channel, online streaming
When: Saturday, Sept. 3, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisc.
TV: ABC
Online: Watch ESPN
LSU-Wisconsin all-time series
LSU holds a 3-0 record over Wisconsin, including that comeback in 2014. Previously, the two teams met in 1971 and '72 in a home-and-home deal. The Tigers beat the Badgers in Madison the first year, 38-28, and won 27-7 the following year.
Numbers that matter
52
That's LSU's regular-season nonconference winning streak, the longest in FBS history. The Tigers haven't lost a regular-season nonconference game since 2002, when Virginia Tech won the season opener vs. LSU, 28-6. Can Wisconsin break the streak?
6
Wisconsin has just six seniors projected to start the 2016 season — QB Bart Houston, RB Corey Clement, WR Rob Wheelwright, OLB Vince Biegel, S Leo Musso and CB Sojourn Shelton — and 13 total on the roster. To add to the inexperience, Houston is a fifth-year senior with no starting experience and just 51 passes to his name. The Badgers' underclassmen better be ready to play.
95.4
Wisconsin's opponents struggled on the ground against its tough defense in 2015, averaging just 95.4 yards a game, and just five teams broke the century mark on the ground. Leonard Fournette will have a little bit of a challenge against the Badgers' run defense if he hopes to hit the 100-yard mark.
Social buzz
All eyes will be on Fournette and his ankle. The junior sprained his ankle in practice on Aug. 16 and was put in a walking boot, but Les Miles promised there's "no issue" with his health just two weeks later. Everyone will be following each of Fournette's move trying to figure out if the injury will return. One small step could derail the Heisman favorite's season.
The big question
What direction will Wisconsin go? The Badgers had a successful season under first-year head coach Paul Chryst, going 10-3 with a win over USC in the Holiday Bowl in 2015. But the schedule gets harder in 2016 with four straight games against Michigan State (away), Michigan (away), Ohio State (home) and Iowa (away). A Week 1 win against LSU would set the tone for the rest of Wisconsin's season and strike a little fear into its remaining opponents.
