Alabama Football 2011: Ten Reasons to Be Optimistic & Pessimistic

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) Most pundits across the nation all agree that Alabama is one team to watch to win it all this year in college football.

Yet there are as many reasons to be pessimistic as there is reason to be optimistic.

With that in mind, let's look at the pessimistic reasons first, then the reasons to be optimistic.

They are not in order of importance.

Pessimistic: Lack of Experience in Key Offenisve Positions

Alabama has won it all before with a rookie quarterback, a first-year starting running back and a rookies in key receiver positions, but that is a real exception to the rule.

This year Alabama will have new starters at quarterback, running back, outside receiver and tight end.

That is a lot to overcome.

Can Alabama be the team to do it? Lightning will have to strike twice at the same school if it does.

Pessimistic: Other SEC Teams Have Improved over Last Season

While Alabama has taken a dip in talent with the offense, other teams in the SEC may have been getting better.

LSU will prove to be a formidable opponent, and Florida is due to be resurgent under new head coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

Arkansas, even though they may have lost their starting running back with an ankle injury, is still rumored to be better than the team that fought Alabama to a close 24-20 game last season that they ended up losing.

Even Mississippi State looks to be a real threat this year, and South Carolina, who beat the Crimson Tide last year, may be Alabama's opponent in the SEC Championship Game if Alabama makes it that far this season.

South Carolina could be even better in 2011.

Pessimistic: Winning It All Could Be Tough Due to Tough BCS Opponents

Should Alabama make it to the BCS Championship Game, they could face stronger opponents than last year's two contestants who met in what could have been the weakest pairing in a few years.

This year the contenders could easily be an undefeated Oklahoma, a more experienced Oregon team or even a resourceful Florida State team.

That could make finishing the job tougher for the Crimson Tide.

Pessimistic: Injuries

Over the Nick Saban era, the team has suffered less injuries than most major programs. Sooner or later, every team has its time with that problem.

Could this finally be Alabama's year?

They have already had an injury to their third running back, Dee Hart, who may be out for the entire year. Could this just be the beginning of an avalanche of injuries?

It's hard to be lucky forever.

Pessimistic: The Kicking Game at Alabama Needs a Kick in the Pants

You win or lose close games because of the kicking game. It was as true a hundred years ago as it is today.

The Tide's place kicking team placed 67th out of the 122 schools in the major division of college football.

For Alabama to be in bottom half of ANY statistic is reason to worry.

Punting was just about as bad.

All of Alabama's "foot specialists" have the ability to do much better and have shown they can do great things with their feet.

But until they start being consistent, there's reason to be pessimistic.

Optimistic: A Favorable Schedule

Finally Alabama has a favorable schedule, not just in who they play and where, but in finally solving some of the bye week issues that saw them face six SEC teams after their bye week.

The hardest road games are at Penn State and Mississippi State, and they will be strongly favored in both of these.

Other schools that that are often tough opponents are going through down years this year like Ole Miss, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Auburn.

Those games should be pushovers.

Only LSU presents itself as a team that Alabama may not be favored to beat this season.

Optimistic: What an Offensive Line!

There could be just one new starter on the offensive line at Alabama this year, and this line could be not only the best in SEC, but perhaps the nation.

They will plow open holes for Alabama's one-two punch of Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy and take the pressure off of whoever the fist year starting quarterback turns out to be.

There's an old saying that it all begins and ends on the line of scrimmage, and this line should be able to dominate any opponent's defensive line.

Optimistic: Alabama Could Have the Nation's Number One Defense This Year

Alabama comes close to returning one of the nation's better defenses from last year. This year's Alabama team could very well end up as the nation's best defensive unit.

With experience at every position and athletic ability galore everywhere you look, this too like the great offensive line, will take much pressure off of the new starting quarterback.

Alabama has a defense that could conceivably win a few games without an offense at all. There should be several shutouts this year unless head coach Nick Saban simply feels generous and lets an opponent have a face-saving score.

Optimistic: More Talent on the Bench Means Better Insurance

The talent level on the Alabama bench is simply incredible. Alabama's second team offense and defense could conceivably be one of the SEC's better teams themselves.

That means that this team can take an injury better than most teams on a national championship quest.

It also means that while Alabama is resting their starters; there won't be a significant drop off in the overall play of the team.

That's a nice thing to have over the course of a long season.

Optimistic: Nick Saban Is Still the Head Coach at Alabama

Is there any better reason to be optimistic? This is a man who's been there and done that now with two different teams.

He knows not only how to get it done, but to mentor young men to buy into his "process" to see that it does, in fact, get done.

With his proven ability to pull in top class after top class and assemble great coaching staffs, there's also great reason to optimistic about the future too.

And That's It!

Larry Burton is a Syndicated Writer whose work appears on the Internet and in print. If you'd like to keep up with all his articles, follow him on Twitter and sign up as a fan on his Bio Page.

Please feel free to sign up on Bleacher Report for free and comment below on any teams you think I've omitted as one of the seven most important wins over the last seven years, or simply comment on your own thoughts.

Thank you for reading and supporting Bleacher Report, your best stop for all your sporting interests.