Kansas and Missouri's on-field rivalry is likely bound for the history books due to conference realignment and bitter feelings because of it, but Tigers' head coach Gary Pinkel came out with a vote of support for ousted Kansas head coach Turner Gill on Monday, defending the Kansas program under Gill as simply a work in progress:

"That’s very unusual. I’m glad I have (athletic director) Mike Alden here, so when we were building our program here at the beginning, I had somebody to stand up for me," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "I think there’s no way in the world you can build your program, a program that’s been down, and flip it that quick, or even have a chance to flip it that quick. I think it’s really disappointing."

Were Pinkel's comments a jab at the KU athletic department? His mention of the support from MU A.D. Mike Alden might be construed as a criticism that Gill wasn't allowed to develop his program for a third year (still considered the de facto timespan among even college football's most impatient fans and media) because Lew Perkins, who hired Gill, resigned over a ticket scandal and was replaced by Sheahon Zinger.

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