Madison — Wisconsin finally began game week preparation for the Buffalo Bulls on Monday after a seemingly endless offseason awash with hype and speculation. Undoubtably the biggest storyline while the season inched nearer was the new offense, ushered in by the air raid-minded Phil Longo. It was once unthinkable for Wisconsin to play anything but power-oriented, pro-style football. Now, in just a few days, the Badgers will take the field running an offense the likes of which Madison has never seen.

It's fair to wonder just how smooth that transition will be. If there's a grace period; if Wisconsin's offense can hit the ground running. Star tailback Braelon Allen, as stoic and level-headed as ever, certainly seems to think so.

“Definitely, definitely," he said. "I don’t think we expect anything less.”

For all of the immeasurable hype surrounding Wisconsin's football program since the hiring of Luke Fickell, the discussion has centered around his decision to give Longo the keys to the offense. There's plenty of excitement for what Longo's scheme offense can accomplish in Madison, but there's also some trepidation.

There's doubts that the air raid will work in the Big Ten. There's doubts that running the air raid won't adequately prepare Wisconsin's defense to face some of the conference's run-heavy teams. There's doubts that the air raid can operate functionally at a northern school frequented by inclement weather.

With the Mid-American Conference's Buffalo Bulls rolling into town, and the weather on Saturday looking like it may hit 90 degrees, many of those doubts won't be quieted regardless of what happens on Sept. 2. Still, Wisconsin's players seem convinced there's no reason they can't come flying out of the gate and make it seem like the Badgers have been running the air raid for decades.

“I think the period of adjustment was early in the spring. I think we’re good on adjusting to all that," quarterback Tanner Mordecai said. "These guys that have been here in the past have played in a very different system, but I wouldn’t say you can tell the difference when you watch us practice. You can’t tell that there’s been a different system for so many years, and that’s something I’ve been proud of them for.”

Mordecai played in a spread offense at SMU, so while he's had to adjust to Longo's playbook and terminology, he's familiar with the overall philosophy. That's not the case for players like wide out Chimere Dike, who played in Bobby Engram's pro-style offense a season ago. Dike, though, agrees with Mordecai that the spring and summer was the adjustment period.

"I think having spring, fall camp to prepare, we’ve done a really good job of taking advantage of the days and opportunities that we’ve had," he said. "Obviously Week 1 will be a great test, going against an opponent with a different color jersey. But I’m really excited and I know the rest of the guys are as well.”

Offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini, another holdover from past Badger offenses, thinks the offense can start fast because of all of the work they've put in. He understands live action is a different story, however, and wants to see how the unit responds to scenarios that can only happen in-game.

"I mean, we’ve been practicing for months now, getting used to the tempo, speed and the way we do things now. But obviously in game it’s always a little different," he said. "Getting used to those longer 10, 12, 15 play drives that you might not be able to do in practice. Just getting that cohesion on offense and seeing how things look when we’re actually going live and it's not just tagging off on the defense, we’re not automatically moving the ball downfield."

Fickell is less concerned with what the offense does in Week 1 and more interested in how they look.

"There’s no definition of what (success) looks like," he said. "If our guys play clean, play fast, and people say, ‘what do you mean play fast, like no huddle?’ No. Our guys look fast regardless of (their 40-yard dash time). When you know what and why you’re doing things, you play a lot faster, you look a lot faster. And to me, that’s the key. It’s not just how many yards and how many points. Ultimately it’s about winning. But what do we look like and how do we do things, the discipline, being able to play clean.”

The head coach also pinpointed leadership on offense, not just from players but from coaches as well, as one of the main catalysts for how the unit will perform in Week 1.

"I think it has a lot to do with leadership. It starts not just with coach Longo but with that whole entire offensive staff. Their ability to make sure their guys understand all things that could and can happen within a game."

When the ball is kicked off a touch past 2:30 p.m on Saturday, Badger fans will recognize their team in the cardinal and white. But it may take them a few drives to wrap their heads around the personnel, formations and play-calling they see from the offense.

Power, pro-style football is soon to be a relic in Madison. Time will tell if Wisconsin's bold transition to Longo's scheme ultimately pays off. But after the incessant prediction, projection and speculation that dominated this offseason, it's finally time to see the air raid at Camp Randall Stadium.

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