Excellent post! Thanks so much for posting!
I agree with the X's & O's. We live near one of the top D-III schools in the country - Mount Union. Their offense is as intricate as anything run in college on any level. But, IMHO, the reason they're so successful is because of their recruiting. If not for an injury, I would have been able to play D-III ball, and probably D-II, say on the level of Walsh University. But when I watch Mount Union play I know that at Mount I would have been riding the pine. They just have athletes that are bigger/faster/stronger than your typical D-III athlete. Makes the coaches look brilliant. Lol.
This is one reason I'm a big Zips fan. As a high school athlete we'd sometimes go to Zips games and we were always blown away with how big and fast the athletes were at this level. I would have been absolutely DESTROYED if I had set foot on a D-1 football field! Lol. It's a lot of fun to watch.
I'm so glad your son is considering Akron. I LOVE Coach Arth and his entire staff! I wish I could have played for men like Coach Arth & Co. If I had a son they're the kind of men I would want my son to learn from and be mentored by - both on and off the field. This is going to take a little longer than an average rebuild because of the kind of players Coach Arth is seeking. The guys coming in really seem like Ivy League type guys; guys the university will be sincerely proud of both on and off the field. I do think after a few years of Arth changing the culture we're going to have a football team we can really be proud of as football players and as good, intelligent young men who are leaders in their respective communities.
Again, thank you for your perspective and please don't be a stranger!
Go Zips!