Texas Football: 4 Doomsday Scenarios for the Longhorns in 2011
There is no easy way to say it, but 2010 was a rough year for the Texas Longhorns.
It was easily the most disappointing year in Mack Brown's career at Texas as they finished up with a 5-7 record.
With the departure of Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, the Longhorns' offense struggled to find sufficient leadership, and it showed on the field.
Garrett Gilbert failed to live up to the hype that carried over from his performance in the BCS National Championship game against Alabama. He threw 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2010.
The offense as a whole was a disappointment because they only averaged 23.8 points per game, which ranked them 88th in the nation.
The defense lost a key player in Sergio Kindle, but remained full of talent and seemingly was the only positive note for the Longhorns. They were the top-ranked defense in the Big 12.
Thankfully for Longhorn fans, 2010 is in the past and a new season is upon them.
Texas has high hopes for the 2011 season, but the team faces a tough schedule and could very easily struggle again.
Anything can happen, but these are the four situations the Texas Longhorns do not want to experience in the upcoming season.
1. Garrett Gilbert Fails to Perform Well
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Seemingly, the only positive performance fans have seen from Garrett Gilbert in a meaningful game was in the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama.
He came into 2010 with big shoes to fill after the departure of Colt McCoy, who is the winningest quarterback in college football history.
Gilbert seemed overwhelmed by the situation, throwing for seven more interceptions than touchdowns in 2010.
He could never step up in the big moment for the Longhorns. Consequently, he led them to a 5-7 record.
The Longhorns face a tough opening part of the schedule against BYU, UCLA and Oklahoma.
Gilbert must learn to not turn the ball over so much and keep his team in the game. He threw five interceptions against a pedestrian defense at Kansas State.
The Longhorns return many of the same offensive players this season, so one can hope that more experience will pay off in 2011.
But it's also very conceivable that Gilbert could struggle again with the same talent around him.
If Gilbert performs poorly again in 2011, the Longhorns could very easily find themselves in a similar situation for the second straight year.
2. The Defense Falters Without Will Muschamp
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During Will Muschamp's tenure as defensive coordinator, the Texas Longhorns were always at the top of the Big 12 in defensive categories.
He brought a passion and intensity to the defense that was unrivaled throughout much of the conference.
And then he left for Florida during the offseason, leaving Texas in the midst of a transition period.
The defense was a bright spot for the Longhorns in 2010, and they will be returning a solid group of young talent for 2011.
But with Muschamp's departure, it remains to be seen how the defense will respond in his absence.
It seems like an unlikely situation with all of the talent that the Longhorns possess on defense, but one cannot deny the intangibles that Muschamp instilled in the Longhorns' defense.
He recruited many of those defensive players, and no one can predict how they will perform without him.
Arguably, the defense is the only reason the Longhorns did not have an even worse season in 2010, and a struggling Longhorns' defense would mean even bigger trouble.
Let's hope that the defensive unit can continue to perform like Longhorn fans have become accustomed to and remain the driving force behind the 2011 team.
3. Oklahoma Is as Good as Advertised and Goes Undefeated
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After their dominating victory in last year's Fiesta Bowl, the popular pick to win the BCS National Championship in 2011 is the Oklahoma Sooners
And as the Longhorns' biggest rival, nothing would make them more upset.
The Sooners are coming back with loads of talent on both sides of the ball, especially in Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles.
And with Texas struggling as of late, Oklahoma looks to take advantage of a five-win Longhorns team from the year prior.
While the Longhorns have many issues they must take care of within their own team, a Sooner undefeated championship season would magnify their issues even more.
Even if Texas wins eight or nine games this season, a loss to the Sooners and watching them win the BCS championship would certainly label 2011 as another disappointment.
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4. Texas Struggles in Conference Play
4 of 4In 2010, the Texas Longhorns posted an abysmal conference record of 2-6, the worst in the Mack Brown era.
Turnovers and lack of offensive playmaking caused the Longhorns to average only 20.3 points per game in those six losses.
And the Longhorns will face many of the same Big 12 teams they faltered against last season.
They go on the road to play Iowa State, Baylor and Texas A&M, which are teams that beat the Longhorns in Austin last year.
Additionally, they have their Red River Shootout against a top-ranked Oklahoma team, a tough game against Oklahoma State and a visit to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers.
The offensive prowess of Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State will test the Longhorns defense for all four quarters and could push the Longhorns season to the brink of destruction.
The Longhorns could easily lose four of those games again this season, which would keep the Longhorns headed in the wrong direction.
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