STILLWATER, OKLA. ? Mark Mangino might have been the happiest man in the world when he stepped on the bus outside Boone Pickens Stadium late Saturday afternoon.

Mangino’s Kansas University football team had just been thumped, 44-21, by Oklahoma State. Furthermore, O-State coach Les Miles had his back-up quarterback throw a deep pass with under a minute remaining. And Mangino had been saddled with consecutive unsportsmanlike-conduct calls with just :07 showing.

How, you ask, could Mangino possibly be so happy in the aftermath of all that?

You have to look at the big picture. Mangino had to have been delighted when he realized he wouldn’t have to board a bus outside an unfriendly stadium again until next season at the earliest.

If you think Willy Loman had a rough time on the road, consider that in their five games outside Lawrence this season, the Jayhawks surrendered an average of 43.2 points and well over 500 yards per game.

Oklahoma State was, in retrospect, just about the norm with 44 points and 485 yards.

Too, the Jayhawks have had an embarrassing tendency to turn obscure players into stars. Saturday it was OSU third-string tailback Vernand Morency — how’s that for a non-football-sounding name? — who shredded KU’s road-kill defense for an eye-popping 269 yards rushing.

No doubt the Jayhawks’ inept defense, Miles’ curious late pass call and a hit on KU quarterback Brian Luke out of bounds right in front of Mangino triggered the KU coach’s oral explosion that resulted in the back-to-back 15-yard penalties.

All the frustration of losing five of the last six games, of playing poor defense in every road game this season and, in the final analysis, the inability to do anything about it seemed to come to a head during those moments when the two yellow flags went flapping into the air in front of Mangino.

Kansas University's Moderick Johnson (6) catches KU's lone touchdown in the first half of a 44-21 loss to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys beat the Jayhawks Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

Asked about the incident afterward, Mangino said he “just wanted someone to answer my question.” But, when pressed, Mangino wouldn’t divulge the question, adding, “It’s no big deal.”

He’s right. It’s no big deal. Mangino’s sideline venting had nothing to do with the outcome, yet the blow-up surely made him feel better — so much so, perhaps, that he was able to smile about — hooray — no more road games.

Not that the Jayhawks’ woes away from home figure to end soon. Since the formation of the Big 12 Conference, Kansas’ record in the other 11 league stadiums is 4-28, and two of those victories came in 1996, the Big 12’s inaugural season.

In the seven seasons since, Kansas has gone 0-4 five times and 1-3 twice. The lone victories were at Missouri in 2000 and Texas Tech (in overtime) in 2001.

Since the Big 12 was chartered, Kansas hasn’t won at Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas State or Baylor. That’s right. Baylor, the only Big 12 team with a worse road record than Kansas. The Bears are 0-fer against the league away from home.

OSU, sixth win elude KU Woodling: Kansas dreadful on road again Morency steps up for ailing OSU KU has QB conundrum Kansas faithful eager for 6th win Notebook How they scored WIBW video: Kansas falls to Oklahoma State, 44-21 Hear Coach Mangino: KU vs. OSU Photo Gallery: KU v. Oklahoma State

Yet as if to prove just how inscrutable college football is, the plethora of national bowl games — they seem to multiply like rabbits — means Kansas, thanks to winning four of its first five games, isn’t dead yet.

In fact, the Tangerine Bowl, reportedly interested in Kansas, sent a representative to Stillwater. Now, after Saturday’s sad performance, you have to wonder if the Orlando bowl will send anyone to Lawrence for Saturday’s season finale against Iowa State.

At least in Iowa State, the Jayhawks will be playing a team struggling more than they are. Kansas has won only once in the last six weeks. Iowa State hasn’t won since September.

Right now, Kansas doesn’t look like a team that deserves to go to a bowl game. Yet perception can change quickly after just seven days, and, if the Jayhawks dispose of the Cyclones, memories will suddenly shrink, and all will be right with the world.