The Buffs are faced with an ultimatum: A bowl game or Christmas with family?

BOULDER – For just the second time in the past 13 years, the Colorado Buffaloes are eligible to play in a bowl game.

Each week more bowls are canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as it stands now the Buffs should have the opportunity to play in the postseason… assuming they want to.

“With this COVID-19 stuff going around everywhere it’s very hard on a lot of our players mentally, physically, everything,” said offensive lineman Casey Roddick, whohrsaid he hasn’t seen his family since March and that he’s had some “family situations” flare up in that time.

“I mean, to have the opportunity to play in a bowl game is unlike anything else that we ever could have dreamed of–especially to come here to CU and change this program around,” Roddick continued. “We obviously are going to meet as a Leadership Council, and go over that, but we also have to have the inputs of everybody else in this team.”

Roddick said that the team would talk over its options Monday afternoon and head coach Karl Dorrell said he was going to have similar discussions as well.

A few Power 5 schools, including Stanford, have already said that they would not participate in the postseason if invited to a bowl game. When Boston College became the first bowl-eligible team to announce it wouldn’t play in the postseason, the athletic director cited input from the team as a big reason why the decision was made. The players were stressed from not being allowed to see friends and family since this summer, arriving at the facilities hours early every day to go through testing and they had to account for the fact that COVID is becoming more prevalent, increasing the odds of their bowl game being canceled anyway.

Dorrell was asked on Tuesday if he would understand if the team decided it didn’t want to grind out another month of this football season.

“Anything and everything can be understood in this deal,” Dorrell answered. “It’s always good to stay in communication with our team and I take a lot of pride–and you can ask any of my players–I take a lot of pride about being on the same page with them and being very transparent and they’ve been very transparent with me too.”

But all of these stressors that Colorado–and just about every other football program in the country–has gone through, has made the Buffs tighter than before.

“Our coaches are inspired–I’m inspired,” Dorrell said. “And the reason why is because the young men we’re coaching have grown up so much in a lot of ways… I think in a lot of ways the positive of this COVID thing is I think it brought us closer.”

Dorrell said that everybody buying in, and essentially being required to shut everybody else out, allowed the new coaching staff to instill its values and build a foundation.

“It’s about people first,” Dorrell said. “It’s about that love and commitment that programs have. And these players, have invested that in each other. So those are the things that motivate us as coaches; we don’t want to let them down.”

Roddick offered a resounding agreement with Dorrell’s read on the situation.

“This team’s a lot different than anything I’ve been a part of, especially coming from high school,” Roddick said. “And for the three years that I’ve been here this is the most close-knit team that I’ve been a part of. And to go into every single week not knowing who you’re gonna play because of COVID, it’s just who’s in front of us?”

Roddick said that he thinks the team’s chemistry starts in the trenches.

“The offensive line is the most closely-knit group, I think, on this football team, so to be able to go out there every single day and with 18 other guys is unlike anything else,” Roddick said. “It’s been a lot of fun to just get out there and play with the guys.”

Roddick, a sophomore, started two games last year but wasn’t a starter coming into this season. Injuries forced him onto the field and then forced him to switch from right guard to left guard. The change didn’t phase him.

“In life, you’ve got to be versatile and handle a lot of things that are on your plate, and so when that comes up–to go from right to left–obviously you’ve just got to do it to the best of your abilities and that’s my goal each and every week,” Roddick said.

According to Roddick, that’s how the whole team has approached this season and it’s part of the reason why the Buffs have had such success.

“We’ve done a really good job and whoever’s been in, just ride with them whether it’s a quarterback situation, tight end situation, if it’s a line situation–whoever’s with us, we’re going to rock with them and play to our best of our ability,” Roddick said. “So, I think it shows that we’re all basically versatile in this year of 2020 especially, so a lot of props to our coaching staff and our players for that.”

Roddick gives particular praise to Mitch Rodrigue, the Buffs’ first-year offensive line coach. Roddick has had three position coaches in his three seasons in Boulder, and he said Rodrigue is the most energetic and shows his love the most.

“Coach Rod has really helped us not only develop into a unit that unifies one whole entire offensive line. That’s definitely something that this team needed as well,” Roddick said.  “It’s not only been about the physical aspect but it’s about off the field we’re about how you doing mentally. How’s your family doing it’s not just about the X’s and O’s, it’s about a friendship and a brothership. I look at him as a father figure as well.”

According to Roddick, that feeling has spread to the whole team.

“It all starts up front and if we show that the offensive line (and) defensive lines are a brotherhood that’s gonna feed into everybody else’s position groups.”

Roddick didn’t know whether his team would decide whether to continue the 2020 season for a few more weeks, but he’s grateful for what the team has been able to do over the past four months.

“Every single day in this building, it’s a gift from God,” Roddick said. “A lot of people are out here struggling–don’t have jobs, are dying–so every opportunity I get to come in here and make the name on my back of the jersey proud–not only for my Roddick family but for the University of Colorado family–it’s a blessing.”

Will Roddick and his teammates sacrifice spending Christmas with family for one more chance to step between thee lines this season?