Sophomore Domicone makes history with Buckeyes

By Sean McClelland (DaytonDailyNews.com) -

Zach Domicone every so often does something to remind fans he’s still part of the Ohio State football team — and that he might have a larger role soon.

In the Buckeyes’ 56-10 trouncing of Minnesota last Saturday, the redshirt sophomore safety became the first Beavercreek High School graduate to score a touchdown for the Buckeyes when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone in the third quarter.

OK, so there hasn’t exactly been a strong Beavercreek-to-Ohio State pipeline over the years. Domicone is the first Beaver to play for the Buckeyes in about 40 years. No surprise, however, that his place in history was not uppermost in his mind when he saw the ball bouncing around.

“It was really exciting,” Domicone said. “My first thought was to be in position to dive on it and wrestle it away.”

Mission accomplished. Their first points of the second half extended the Buckeyes’ lead to 38-10. In the fourth quarter, as the carnage grew more gruesome and reserves were summoned, Domicone played from scrimmage for the first time in college, making two tackles on Minnesota’s final possession.

“Just to be able to be out there and show what I could do was a great feeling,” said Domicone, who backs up Jermale Hines.

And quite a different feeling from the previous week when Domicone, out with a hamstring injury, had not accompanied the team to Wisconsin. He watched that devastating defeat in his apartment with his brother, Nick, an Ohio State student.

“You can ask my brother — I was a foot from the screen the whole game,” Domicone said. “I was in shock. Just a terrible feeling.”

A quarterback in high school, Domicone seemed ticketed for a Mid-American Conference school such as Ohio University until late in the recruiting process. It’s likely he would be starting now had he chosen that route, but with

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