Texas Longhorns Football: 5 Reasons for Optimism and 5 Reasons for Pessimism

The Texas Longhorns should take the field with an entirely revolutionized swagger come their season opener against Rice.

A flurry of coaching changes leading to new offensive and defensive philosophies, a changed atmosphere in the gym and on the practice field, and the chance to extinguish any lasting memories of an awful 2010 will lead the charge in 2011.

But while expectations will remain cautious, there are reasons for optimism and pessimism all around the program.

Here are five reasons to be optimistic and five reasons to be pessimistic about Texas' 2011 campaign. 

Freshman Class

This class will be a headliner as Texas climbs back into the top echelon in college football.

David Ash looks to be the future at quarterback, despite what Garrett Gilbert, Case McCoy and Connor Wood do.

Malcolm Brown should be a star when he returns to full strength and gets an understanding of the offense. He'll likely share the load of carries with a plethora of tailbacks.

Jaxon Shipley appears to be ahead of schedule as far as preparedness for the college level. He should see serious time along with Mike Davis and Darius White at receiver.

Other notables include Sedrick Flowers, Quandre Diggs, Desmond Jackson and Steve Edmond, all of whom should see time on the field in some capacity.

New Coaching Staff

However ephemeral the tenures of the new coaches may be in Austin, they all bring a coveted expertise and strategy that make them exquisite hires at Texas.

It is a complete 180 from last year's veteran staff as Mack Brown re-energized the Texas program with a bevy of youthful and passionate assistants.

Bryan Harsin, Manny Diaz and Major Applewhite are arguably the next great football minds in the sport and they are all wearing burnt orange. Throw in Darrell Wyatt, Bo Davis, Stacy Searels and Bennie Wylie and Texas has a great thing going on its coaching staff.

With these coaches breathing new energy and new life into the team, the hype machine is absolutely rolling with a smattering of cautious optimism.

Bennie Wylie

Much as been said about the conditioning of the Longhorns last season, and what better way to usher in a new era than with a revolutionary hire like Bennie Wylie as Texas' strength and conditioning coach?

The former Tennessee staffer has returned to his home state, and the word around the program is that the players have transformed themselves into better athletes on the field and better performers in the weight room.

Obviously, the true results of Wylie's program won't come until the season is well under way, but there is an air of confidence at Texas that may strike some as a huge positive.   

Equal Footing

The great thing about a fresh start is that it affects everyone from top to bottom.

The coaching staff isn't the only group with something to prove.

With new offensive and defensive schemes to learn, every player started on an equal playing field, with just experience and talent determining who gets the benefit of the doubt.

But with everyone starting from the same place, competition for a spot in the two deep is at its highest, and competition can breed success.

The veterans may have a step-up as far as familiarity with the college level, but the underclassmen are viciously pushing for their own respect.

New Offense

The 2011 Texas offense cannot possibly be worse than the 2010 version under Greg Davis. Given the change at the top with Harsin and Applewhite running the show, expect some exciting things out of the offense this season.

Instead of training athletes for a system that may not be advantageous for their skill set, the Harsin-Applewhite set uses packages for different types of athletes who can accomplish the correct executions during a play.

In addition, Harsin has never had this kind of overwhelming talent at his disposal. At Boise State, he made the most of what the program could reel in, but at Texas, where the talent pools are virtually endless, Harsin's motion-heavy offense should excel.

It will be something to marvel at for Texas fans, a brand new offense the likes of which has never been seen on the Forty Acres.

New Offense

As much as the Texas fan base craves success, new coaches mean new schemes, fresh nuances and a learning curve, kinks that will take time to hammer out.

The Harsin-Applewhite offense will provide a fresh start for a program that needs immediate results. But there naturally will be a flurry of question marks for a new offense.

Expect bumps and bruises throughout the first few weeks until Texas finds who its players are and which ones gives the Horns the best chance for success.

Youth Everywhere

A horde of young players will be expected to shoulder some of the load this season, and those expectations are well-deserved given the immense amount of talent in the underclassmen.

The quarterback position could eventually be in the hands of a true freshman. The starting wide receivers look to be all freshmen and sophomores. A true freshman defensive tackle could help ease Texas' pain at the position, and first- and second-year players will take the field at cornerback.

Although Texas has some reliable veterans in Kheeston Randall, Blake Gideon, Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat (who also happens to be a true sophomore), the Horns will lean heavily on their young players this season.

No Answer at Quarterback

The saying goes, "When you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks." 

Well, Texas has four of them, all vying for position in the two deep. Although Garrett Gilbert returns the most experience of the four, the new offense significantly levels the playing field.

Connor Wood and Case McCoy have battled consistency, decision-making and accuracy issues, though both have shown their respective brilliance.

David Ash, the true freshman who enrolled in the spring, has received high praise for his preparation and leadership qualities and is in a position to secure a spot in the two deep.

But then again, with four quarterbacks all seemingly on equal footing, the rest of the offense may suffer due to constant changes under center.

With just over two weeks before Texas' season opener against Rice, this has to cause some concern for the Longhorns.

Issues in the Secondary

Texas has been nicknamed "DBU" for its production of defensive backs that have secured a career in the NFL.

So it isn't exactly normal to see the Longhorns with issues in its secondary.

Cornerback will be handled by a bevy of underclassmen, which includes a very talented true freshman.

Safety may have depth issues despite its veteran presence with Blake Gideon, Nolan Brewster and Kenny Vacarro. With Christian Scott facing misdemeanor assault charges, and Vacarro missing time with a hamstring injury, numbers are limited in the back.

Expect many different looks from Duane Akina and Manny Diaz as the Horns look to find a number of options between corner and safety.

Time

For a program trying to implement new schemes and new philosophies, time will never be on its side.

We know that Texas has oodles of talent up and down its roster, but talent alone doesn't get the job done (see 2010 season). We know that Harsin's multiple-look system works, but it also takes time to learn and to execute with precision and purpose.

What we don't know, however, is when these Longhorns will put everything together. It could be the first week, it could be the third week, it could be on Thanksgiving night against Texas A&M.

All signs point to the Longhorns coming back with a vengeance. But the question is: When?