No. 2 Ohio State players 'safe and accounted for'

The Ohio State Buckeyes football players are safe after an attack on campus Monday morning.

A man drove his vehicle over a curb outside a classroom building and into a group of pedestrians on the Ohio State campus in Columbus. He then got out of his car and started slashing students with a butcher knife before he was shot to death by a police officer.

"All our players are safe and accounted for," Ohio State spokesman Jerry Emig said later Monday.

The second-ranked Buckeyes were not scheduled to practice and many of the coaches were on recruiting visits following their 30-27 win in the double overtime against Michigan on Saturday.

Nine people were injured in the attack as campus resumed activity following the Thanksgiving break. The injured were rushed to hospitals with one person in critical condition, according to university Police Chief Craig Stone. There was not a shooter on campus despite earlier media reports.

A university spokesperson was unsure if any athletes from other sports were among the injured.

Ohio State president Michael Drake said the active-shooter warning was issued after shots were heard on campus.

"Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College," the university's emergency management agency tweeted within minutes of the attack. "Run, hide, fight" is emergency protocol for active-shooter situations.

Classes were canceled Monday after police announced the scene was secured, but the Woody Hayes Athletic Center remained open to the players for workouts in the weight room or physical treatment.

The Big Ten Conference decided to delay naming its weekly football award winners out of respect to the Ohio State incident. The awards will be announced on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

LeBron James, who was just at Ohio State on Saturday along with the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers to watch the game against Michigan, offered prayers following the attack.

"Praying for all students on @OhioState campus!! Please find safely asap!!" James wrote Monday morning on Twitter.