Conference Big 12 Conference Head coach Mack Brown (14th year) | 2011 record 8–5 (4–5 Big 12) Offensive scheme Multiple | |
Co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite (1st year) Co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin (1st year) | ||
The 2011 Texas Longhorns football team (variously "Texas," "UT," the "Longhorns," or the "'Horns") represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Longhorns were led by 14th year head coach Mack Brown and played their home games at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 8–5, 4–5 in Big 12 play to finish in a tie for sixth place improving on their disastrous 5-7 season from 2010. They were invited to the Holiday Bowl where they defeated California 21–10.
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Previous season
After the 2009 Texas Longhorns football team lost to Alabama in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, Texas entered the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season ranked fifth in the AP Poll and fourth in the Coaches Poll. Texas won its first three games of the season, maintaining a top 10 status. However, the Longhorns were upset by UCLA, followed by a loss to Oklahoma. This caused Texas to be excluded from both Top 25 polls for the first time since 1998.
Other signed seniors
Eddie Jones (Linebacker) – New York Jets
John Gold (Punter) – Seattle Seahawks
John Chiles (Wide Receiver) – Jacksonville Sharks
Recruiting
During the 2011 recruiting period, Texas recruited 18 players, including nine from the ESPN 150. As a result, Texas' recruiting class was ranked first by ESPN and third by both Rivals and Scout.
Rankings
The Texas Longhorns began the season unranked for the first time since 1998 in the AP Poll, although it was ranked twenty-fourth in the Coaches Poll. After wins against Rice and BYU, Texas would slowly increase in the rankings before jumping four spots in the AP Poll and three in the Coaches Poll after winning against UCLA. After the bye week Texas once again jumped another 2 spots in the AP Poll and one in the Coaches Poll. In the final BCS rankings, Texas was twenty-fourth. In both the Associated Press' final rankings and USA Today's final rankings, Texas was unranked.