Nothing surprises Missouri's Pinkel anymore

UNDATED (AP) One week off gave Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel a chance to pay closer attention to the rest of the Big 12 Conference. <br/><br/>He was struck again by the unpredictable nature of the

Tuesday, November 14th 2006, 5:41 am

By: News On 6

UNDATED (AP) One week off gave Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel a chance to pay closer attention to the rest of the Big 12 Conference.

He was struck again by the unpredictable nature of the game.

Kansas State's upset Saturday over then fourth-ranked Texas was just the latest example.

Pinkel, who's completing his sixth season with the Tigers, is the senior coach in the Big 12 North now that Iowa State coach Dan McCarney is out after one dozen seasons.

Missouri plays at Iowa State on Saturday.

Texas coach Mack Brown, in his ninth season, will become the overall dean after Saturday.

Eleventh-ranked Texas gets one week off to recover from the Kansas State loss.

Brown also made it a point to congratulate K-State -- saying the Wildcats made the plays necessary to win.

Also:

-- Oklahoma has a shot at representing the South in the Big 12 championship game against Nebraska on December second in Kansas City.

The Sooners need to win their last two games and Texas must lose at Texas A-and-M on November 24th for O-U to advance.

-- Baylor coach Guy Morriss, whose team has been routed in consecutive weeks, says he'd consider playing more lightly regarded schools in the early season. The Bears are one of three Big 12 teams who are not bowl-eligible.