Vandalism, fires and roadblocks follow Ohio State victory

COLUMBUS

Authorities used tear gas early today to disperse thousands of Buckeye fans on North High Street along campus celebrating Ohio State’s win over Oregon.

Three canisters were used in front of the Ohio Union around 1:15 a.m. Within ten minutes, N. High Street was emptied of most revelers.

An hour and a half earlier, thousands of people in the campus area poured out of bars, campus buildings and the Ohio Union immediately after the Buckeye victory.

Columbus Police Department spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis told NBC News that about 8,000 students forced their way into The Horseshoe stadium and tore down a goal post.

She described the crowds as being "intense" after the game.

Ohio State and Columbus police cruisers converged on the North High Street area, attempting to push the revelers back onto the sidewalks, but it appeared to be a futile attempt. As police pushed back one section of people, another group would swarm onto North High, intent on making the main road a place to party.

Shortly after midnight, police began using pepper spray on many of the party-goers. Some left the area with stinging eyes and runny noses. Others stayed and just seemed to move to other areas along N. High Street.

Police parked cruisers on N. High and the Fire Division added a fire truck, in an attempt to keep students off the road.

Police scanners filled with reports of fires in the campus area. There were more than 40 reports of fires – most of them in Dumpsters – in the hour after the Buckeyes’ victory. Most were concentrated between 12th and 17th avenues, between N. High and Summit streets.

In at least three cases, couches were reported to be set afire. According to radio traffic, in at least one case, other students helped the Fire Division and used a fire extinguisher on a couch. There also were about a dozen calls on trash fires in the campus area. No fire was reported to be serious.

There also were reports of gunshots fired in the campus area right after the game, Columbus police dispatchers reported. There were no reports of gunshot injuries related to postgame celebrations.