Madison — Wisconsin football is around the corner. The Badgers will open their season hosting the Buffalo Bulls from the Mid-American Conference on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

As kickoff draws nearer, BadgerBlitz.com football beat writers Seamus Rohrer and Donnie Slusher will decide if they're "buying" or "selling" on various storylines surrounding the Wisconsin football program.

SEAMUS: Buy. The Badgers' offense has expressed confidence they can start fast and hit the ground running, and who's to say they can't? We're not exactly sure what the Week 1 iteration of Phil Longo's offense will look like, but a few things are certain: he'll spread the defense out, use plenty of receivers and get the ball to his playmakers in space. That sounds like an air raid to me. How successful the offense will be in Week 1 is another question entirely, but I'm buying that they'll look like a brand new offense regardless of how many points and yards they accumulate.

DONNIE: Buy. I’ve generally brushed off any hype that Longo will turn Wisconsin into a high-flying, pass-centric team. Braelon Allen is still the best player on the Badgers, and plenty of running backs have thrived in Longo’s system. But the coaches already know what Allen and Chez Mellusi bring to the table. Saturday should be about the passing game. The Badgers have a golden opportunity to test out a group of talented pieces who’ve yet to play a real snap together. They should try to create chemistry and work out the kinks against a Buffalo team starting three new defensive backs. I'd sell on the Air Raid talk long term, but not this Saturday.

SEAMUS: Sell. Wisconsin should win, and it should win handily. Anything else would be a disappointment, and any kind of close game would put the Badgers on red alert for an upset next week against Washington State. However, I'm not sold that they'll win by four touchdowns. Buffalo's calling card is its defense, and they have dangerous players like safety Marcus Fuqua and linebacker Shaun Dolac who could pose some issues for this brand-new offense. Buffalo also has a very serviceable running game with four capable backs, headlined by Ron Cook. Yes, there's still a sizable talent disparity which should be very evident, but I've got Buffalo playing real feisty and covering the spread. Buffalo is only 3-16 against current Big Ten teams, but they're 5-2 against the spread against Big Ten teams since 2013.

DONNIE: Buy. Regardless of the talent disparity, a blowout will be a tall task considering the Badgers’ aforementioned unfamiliarity. But Wisconsin is on a quest to find their identity. Even if they jump to an early lead, coasting would be a wasted opportunity. The players need as many game reps as possible to find chemistry and learn the system. I also lack confidence in Cole Snyder’s chances against a defense that he’s never seen before, including an improved Badger secondary. Cook and backup running back Mike Washington are quality players, but they won’t offer much if the Bulls start off with a deficit.

SEAMUS: Sell. Yes, Wisconsin lost most of its production up front with the departures of Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton, both of whom are now playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, I believe this defense has a chance to be better than the one the Badgers fielded a season ago. The areas I expect to see the most improvement in are inside linebacker and safety play. Maema Njongmeta, Jordan Turner and Jake Chaney are all back at inside backer and it's reasonable to expect that each of them has taken their game to the next level. Meanwhile, with a healthy Hunter Wohler and Travian Blaylock on the back end, not to mention a more experienced Kamo'i Latu, Wisconsin should be stronger in those areas and I expect them to be stronger defensively overall. The losses on the front seven will hurt, but the Badgers have plenty of young players in the trenches ready to step up.

DONNIE: Sell. Adjusting to life without Benton and Herbig will be a challenge. Gio Paez, who backed up Benton for the past few years, may have an issue against the Bulls’ pair of strong running backs. But he's surrounded by several other talented defensive linemen who've patiently waited to make an impact, like Rodas Johnson, James Thompson and Darian Varner. As for the edge rushers, no single player has stood out the way Herbig did, but coaches have expressed faith in the improvement of players like C.J. Goetz and T.J. Bollers. As the season drags on and injuries and fatigue take effect, the loss of these defensive leaders may be more apparent, but it shouldn't play a significant factor yet.

SEAMUS: Buy. Can I lease this one? I'll buy it because I do think some of Wisconsin's injuries, but not all of them, will produce some kind of tangible effect in Week 1. For starters, defensive lineman Isaiah Mullens is out for the foreseeable future. I don't see this impacting the defense all that much, considering the man taking his place — James Thompson — was actually more productive than Mullens across less playing time last season. Then you have Maema Njongmeta, who will play with a club on his right hand to shield his broken thumb. The linebacker hasn't looked much different in practice with the club, but I do think he'll have to adjust to wearing it in a game scenario. The injury I think will be the most impactful is center Jake Renfro. It's forced Tanor Bortolini to move to center, flanked by Joe Huber and Michael Furtney at the guard spots. It's not catastrophic, but it's certainly not the staff's ideal situation on the interior of the offensive line. The offensive front will be a feeling-out process early in the season.

DONNIE: Sell. Similarly to defensive depth, my concerns may grow throughout the season, but I’m not worried about the Badgers’ injuries quite yet. I don’t anticipate Buffalo’s defensive line causing too many issues for Wisconsin’s shaken-up offensive line. Bortolini is a quality offensive lineman who shouldn’t struggle to replace Renfro. The only injury I’m truly concerned about is Njongmeta. If the Badger offense stalls to begin the game, the Bulls could stay in it with their running game. That’s when Wisconsin’s inexperience and injuries on the defensive line could become glaring. If Tanner Mordecai gets the ball out quickly and effectively, doesn’t put too much pressure on the offensive line and can give the Badgers an early lead, there should be little concern.

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