COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NATION : Game Postponed by Hurricane

Auburn’s first national television appearance of the season got spoiled by Hurricane Opal, which forced postponement of tonight’s game against Mississippi State.

The game was tentatively rescheduled for Saturday afternoon in Auburn because of the threat of severe weather, Auburn Athletic Director David Housel said.

“Certainly the safety of our players, coaches and fans is our primary concern,” Housel said. “It was a simple decision based on information we had in hand.

“Thursday night may well prove to be a beautiful night, but there are a number of questions concerning the availability of security and power. All in all, this is the only decision we could make at the time we had to make it.”

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Colorado quarterback Koy Detmer, who has been sidelined with a torn ligament, can resume practice immediately, according to team doctors.

Detmer will be allowed to practice on a limited basis through the end of the week and will be evaluated daily. It’s uncertain whether he will play in Saturday’s home game against Kansas.

Detmer, a junior, was a Heisman Trophy candidate before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the 29-21 victory over Texas A&M; Sept. 23.

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Ohio State Coach John Cooper, stung by having to make a trip to Penn State for the second year in a row, thinks the Nittany Lions get more than their share of scheduling breaks.

“How do you get Michigan at home and how do you get Ohio State at home two of the first three years,” in the Big Ten, Cooper said. “They haven’t played Wisconsin until this year, and the next two years they won’t play Illinois.”

The fifth-ranked Buckeyes (4-0) play at No. 12 Penn State (3-1) Saturday.

“There’s no question that [Penn State has] the best of scheduling,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said.

During his weekly conference call, Nittany Lion Coach Joe Paterno became angry when asked about scheduling.

“You know, that’s a lot of hooey,” Paterno said. “I resent that very much. A lot of people are shooting their mouth off that don’t know what they’re talking about.

“All of this went through the Big Ten office. I never once talked to anybody in the Big Ten office about a schedule. I’ve never asked for anything.”