On the cusp of their biggest game of the year, 80 Tulane football players are sleeping on the floor of a school gymnasium. On mats. In sleeping bags. Watching old movies.

Call it a high school lock-in. Call it punishment for two straight losses. But head coach Chris Scelfo didn’t induce this team-bonding exercise.

Tropical Storm Isidore — already bringing strong winds and heavy rain to New Orleans — forced most regular students off the Tulane campus and all in-season student-athletes onto a rock-hard gym floor.

Since Tulane plays its big home games inside the Superdome, it doesn’t plan to cancel Saturday’s home matchup against No. 3 Texas. Still, the storm will wreak havoc on attendance and travel plans — not to mention Tulane players’ backs.

“For the team, it’s not ideal,” said Donna Davis, Tulane’s sports information director. “But the issue is safety. You don’t want players driving around for treatment and practice with all this flooding.”

Tulane didn’t want other students driving around either. So in a memo to students sent yesterday, the university urged students to “make plans to leave New Orleans as quickly as possible.”

Any students unable to evacuate were moved to the three sturdiest dorms on campus. Classes are cancelled until Monday.

Texas, which plans to fly out on Friday provided the airport stays open, doesn’t seemed too frazzled by the situation. The Longhorns have experienced weather difficulty with Tulane before.

In 1965 — the last time the two schools were scheduled to play — Hurricane Betsy prevented Texas from traveling to New Orleans. So the two teams rescheduled the game and played in Austin instead.

“It would be a devastating blow not to have this game,” said Rick Dickson, Tulane’s athletics director. “Texas doesn’t have an open date and (this game) is probably the centerpiece of our schedule.”

Probably? Tulane’s lone home game so far was against I-AA Southern and the rest of its home schedule is peppered with Cincinnati, UAB, Navy, Army and Southern Mississippi — not quite national powers.

Before the storm, Tulane expected about 50,000 fans to show up Saturday. But since its students were forced to hitchhike out of town and travel-happy Texas fans may think twice about flying, that estimate is sure to plummet.

“Even though we think the game will be played, the storm will definitely have an effect this weekend,” Davis said. “In our advantage, every other show in town has been cancelled, so maybe people will come to this instead.”

That doesn’t seem likely. Tulane’s team could have slept at the Playboy Mansion and not stood a chance against Texas. But after a few nights on a gym floor? Tulane football will need a chiropractor, not a beating from one of the nation’s best.

Syracuse (+14.5) at AuburnSaturday, 9 p.m., ESPN2

Don’t expect Syracuse’s offensive outburst against Rhode Island to carry over this week.

In that game, Syracuse scored nine touchdowns. In four games this year, Auburn has given up just five.

Tigers quarterback Daniel Cobb has been almost mistake-free through four starts. The savvy, sixth-year senior has thrown for 596 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception. By comparison, Syracuse starter R.J. Anderson has tossed three interceptions in three games.

Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville called Syracuse “perhaps the best 1-2 team in the nation.”

If that’s true, next week SU will be the best 1-3 team in the country.

Pick: Auburn 35, Syracuse 24

No. 2 Texas (-30.5) at TulaneSaturday, 3:30 p.m., No TV

Tulane Athletics Director Rick Dickson said that, if this game is cancelled because of Tropical Storm Isodore, it would be a disaster. But playing the game as scheduled might not be much better for the Green Wave.

Pick: Texas 107, Tulane 3

No. 20 Nebraska (pick ‘em) at No. 19 Iowa StateSaturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Iowa State hasn’t knocked off Nebraska in nine years, but the Cyclones are favored this weekend. And rightfully so.

Nebraska cruised through three cream-puff opponents before Penn State crushed the Cornhuskers, 40-7, two weekends ago.

Through four games, Nebraska hasn’t had a running back rush for 100 yards in one contest, something that hasn’t happened since 1972. And, if Nebraska losses this weekend, it may drop out of the Top 25 for the first time since 1982.

Pick: Iowa State 24, Nebraska 21

Iowa (+8.5) at No. 12 Penn StateSaturday, Noon, ESPN

Sure, Penn State hammered Nebraska. But the Hawkeyes are better than the Cornhuskers.

Consider this: Iowa averages 272 rushing yards a game. Its defense gives up just 47 yards a game on the ground.

And it seems that this week, the Iowa rushing game can only get better. Top back Fred Russell missed last weekend’s game against Utah State with a sore shoulder. He’ll likely start this weekend.

The Hawkeyes might not be able to pull out a win in Happy Valley, but they’ll beat the spread.

Pick: Penn State 21, Iowa 17

No. 23 Oregon State (+3.5) at No. 18 USCSaturday, 6:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net

Oregon State — Sports Illustrated’s pick to win the national championship last year — is fulfilling expectations a year late.

The Beavers, who didn’t make a bowl last year, are off to a 4-0 start. And if they beat USC to become 5-0, it will be their best start in 63 years.

Still, USC has looked tough at home, offing Auburn in the season opener. Plus, Oregon State hasn’t won at USC since 1960.

Pick: USC 17, Oregon State 10

Published on September 25, 2002 at 12:00 pm