Oklahoma State Set for Must-Win Game at Colorado

The Cowboys' postseason hopes are barely hanging on as they head into Boulder.

Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz walks to the fans after a men's college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Kansas Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State has another chance to get a win, and it could be the final shot at a tournament run.

On Wednesday night, OSU had one of its worst efforts of the season. Falling to Kansas 81-69, the final score doesn’t quite capture how hopeless the Cowboys appeared throughout the night after falling down double digits before the first media timeout.

Sure, a loss to a top 10 team doesn’t look all that bad on paper, but OSU simply couldn’t afford any more losses. However, the Cowboys might still be in a decent position moving forward if Kansas’ top 10 status can at least make this game be seen as a good loss.

For a good loss to matter for OSU, it will need to stop losing entirely to end the regular season, which eventually means a win against a top 10 Houston team. With five more games in the regular season, the Cowboys still have a little bit of time to get things together and go on a run.

As the schedule provides OSU that opportunity over the next couple of weeks, it can’t afford to have any lapses. For now, the most important thing for OSU is finding a way to win at Colorado on Saturday.

Going to Boulder for an afternoon affair, the Cowboys’ hopes of making any sort of noise in March may legitimately hinge on winning this game. Sure, the past couple of games have also felt that way, but as the number of games remaining continues to decrease, the pressure builds even more.

Thus far, Steve Lutz’s team has been unable to deliver under this sort of pressure. In college basketball, that can change in an instant, and the Cowboys need that change to get where they want to go.

Another clear obstacle for the Cowboys will be finding a way to win on the road. Including this matchup in Boulder, the Cowboys will be on the road for three of their next four games.

Considering it has won one Big 12 road game in two seasons under Lutz, OSU’s tournament hopes hinge on what has been a nearly impossible task. Still, OSU was able to win at Utah earlier this season, and a Colorado team with an equal 4-9 Big 12 record could be the matchup the Pokes need to escape with the win.

In any case, winning in Colorado is a must for the Cowboys if the NCAA Tournament is still on their minds.