It will be a short week for the Missouri football team, which remained 17th in the coaches’ poll and dropped a spot to 19th in the AP poll. Head coach Gary Pinkel will have two less days to get his team ready as they travel to Troy University on Wednesday for a Thursday night game on ESPN2. Even though the quick turnaround makes for a hectic week, Pinkel said the opportunity being the only college game on TV that evening is invaluable “We need the exposure and certainly the dollars are an issue, but the bigger issue for me is the exposure. We’re not in a position, at all, to turn down a game like this,” Pinkel said Monday afternoon. The Tigers should expect a hostile environment in Troy, Alabama Thursday. The Trojans are coming off a big 17-15 road win at Marshall University and will be riding off that momentum in their home opener. This will also mark the first time they’ve ever hosted a team in a BCS conference. The Trojans defensive line, which Pinkel said would be one of the top five they face all season, is led by defensive end Demarcus Ware. In Troy’s win over Marshall, Ware had seven tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a deflected pass. Mizzou and Troy will have some ratings competition as New England and Indianapolis kick off the NFL season at 8PM Thursday. The Tigers and Trojans will start at 6PM.
