Poll means little to Tigers

As expected, the Missouri football team’s reaction to the Associated Press ranking it No. 25 in its latest top-25 poll wasn’t too serious.

“I would suggest my compliments to the media because they’re the smart ones,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “But is that going to help us prepare for Colorado? No, it’s not. So let’s all move on.”

Pinkel said it was nice to be ranked, but it didn’t change anything from his team’s standpoint. Pinkel said he addressed the ranking with his players at their meeting on Sunday. It wasn’t a topic that was discussed at length.

With the team steadfastly holding to its one-game-at-a-time mentality, the players’ reaction echoed that of their coach.

“It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” tight end Martin Rucker said.

Tony Temple added: “It’s nice to be recognized just so nationally other people can see our success. But other than that, it doesn’t mean much.”

TO BE CONTINUED: Temple’s lawyer in his third-degree assault case, Travis Jacobs of Columbia, said he will be asking Judge Larry Bryson for a continuance on Tuesday morning.

“I believe there’s still a police report out there that we might not have,” Jacobs said. “We are also going to be taking some depositions of the complaining witness in this case. I don’t believe the state has turned over all the police reports they have at this time.”

Temple’s court trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. today. The junior running back wasn’t thinking about the case at Monday’s media day, and it was clear his focus was on Colorado.

“I might want to call my lawyer because I really forgot about it,” Temple said.

Temple and his girlfriend Kendra Power were both charged with third-degree assault after a fight June 11 at Bennigan’s Grill and Tavern. Pinkel suspended Temple from the team’s summer conditioning drills.

On Monday, Temple, who leads the team in rushing heading into Saturday’s game, said it would be a relief to put the whole incident behind him.

COACHES’ NOTES: During the weekly Big 12 Conference coaches’ teleconference, there was one consistent theme among the North coaches: the division is wide open at the start of conference play.

“I think it will be highly competitive in the North,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “This being our third year we have tremendous respect for everyone. I look at Colorado and their competitive level at Georgia. I look at Kansas and Kansas State doing good things. I’ve just got great respect for these coaches and it’ll be highly competitive. I look over at Missouri and they’re having a tremendous success on both sides of the ball. They’re really putting things together.”

In the South division, Texas coach Mack Brown, who plays a handful of freshmen, was asked if today’s freshmen football players are more ready to play but less patient to wait on playing time.

“I think both reasons are fair,” Brown said. “I think coaching continues to get better and better in high school football. They’re doing more things that college and pro teams are doing. Secondly, because the NCAA allowed them to come earlier. They’re working out with teammates in the summer. They’re able to learn the system more easily through kids on the team. Because of the recruiting process, parents and kids are less patient than ever before. We’ve had second-teamers at Texas and their parents are wondering where they’ll be drafted.”

Missouri wide receivers coach Andy Hill, who has two freshman receivers getting playing time in Jared Perry and Danario Alexander, slightly disagreed with Brown’s statement.

“I wouldn’t say they are less patient,” Hill said. “I think guys, with early recruiting going on, you’re recruiting guys that are committing sooner and all that stuff. I think they are more ready to play, particularly my guys aren’t really less patient I’d say.”

TV TIME: The Missouri-Texas Tech game on Oct. 7 has been set for 6 p.m. and will be televised on TBS, the Big 12 and TBS announced on Monday. It will be Missouri’s fourth appearance on TV this season.