Can Steve Lutz Fix Oklahoma State's Road Woes?

Oklahoma State has had a rough run in recent years, but winning away from Stillwater has been a significant struggle.

OSU went 12-20 in Mike Boynton’s final season, struggling to find any consistency throughout. Perhaps the most frustrating part of OSU’s season was the team’s inability to win road games.

On Feb. 21, the Cowboys traveled to Cincinnati and beat the Bearcats 80-76. It was OSU’s 26th game of the season and the team’s final win. It was also OSU’s only win in a true road game.

The Cowboys finished the season 1-9 on the road. Although a 10-8 home record is not encouraging, winning only one road game will destine a team for failure.

That type of struggle was commonplace for Boynton’s teams at OSU. In his seven seasons, six featured losing road records. In OSU’s most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021, the team boasted a road record of 8-4.

In fact, winning on the road has been a significant piece of OSU’s successful seasons. Over the past nine seasons, OSU has made the NCAA Tournament twice. Those are also the only two seasons in which OSU has had a winning road record.

However, Travis Ford’s three-straight NCAA Tournament trips from 2013-15 proved that winning on the road is not the only path. OSU had a .500 road record in one season and a losing road record in the other two. However, those teams were dominant at home, losing nine games in Gallagher-Iba Arena across three seasons.

For reference, OSU has lost 20 home games in the past three seasons. With Steve Lutz at the helm, OSU’s fortunes could turn around.

In Lutz’s three seasons as a head coach, he has gone 20-20 in road games while losing only eight home games. If he can replicate that success in Stillwater, the Cowboys could be well on their way to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

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