Five Lessons for the Padres From Ohio St and Oregon Football

Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer has a few words for Padres fans too… Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

This year was the first year in the College Football Playoffs, with The Ohio State Buckeyes squaring off against the Oregon Ducks next Monday in Texas for the National Championship. As a recent transplant to Eugene, Oregon – home of the Ducks – this town is very excited about the chance for Oregon to win their first College Football Championship. I also declared my Duck fandom before the season began and have not wavered in my support, watching every game and going to one. Marcus Mariota has played spectacularly his entire career as a quarterback and wowed the nation with his moving Heisman Trophy speech to boot. They appear to be the favorites.

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With a wife who is a lifelong Ohio State Buckeyes fan who suffered through the Buckeyes losing not one but two starting quarterbacks this season – and defeating #1 seed Alabama in a thrilling game last week in the playoff – it should be a fun game next week despite our house being divided. They were counted out in the Big 10 championship against Wisconsin and made that easy work, then again against Alabama but pulled that one off too.

What is this article doing on a Padres site you ask? There are always lessons to be gleaned from any situation, and I believe in these two teams in particular the Padres can take some big lessons on what it will take for them to become a championship-caliber team. They are not there yet, but with some focus and leadership they might not be that far off either.

Both teams have had their bumps in recent years but now find themselves just one win away from winning it all. At the beginning of August – they both expected it. In mid-September, one was a long shot and both had lost a game. Now, they both are in the same spot and nothing that came before matters. Read on to see what the Padres need to do to find themselves playing for a championship around the time these two teams will begin their title defense.