When coach Jim Tressel asked senior offensive lineman Nick Mangold what he thought would be the Buckeyes biggest challenge of the 2005 football season, the 290-pounder said it would be getting off on the right foot straight out of the gates.

Those gates open tomorrow when Ohio State football officially begins spring practice. The Buckeyes will conclude their spring workouts with the annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 23 at Ohio Stadium.

Not much has changed since the Buckeyes defeated Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl four months ago. Although they are returning nine starters on both sides of the ball, they have yet to find a starting quarterback and are still searching for a more aggressive running attack.

While it is highly likely that junior Justin Zwick will be the under center when the Buckeyes take on Miami (Ohio) in the season opener Sept. 3, the competition will heat up again once fellow classmate Troy Smith returns from his remaining one-game suspension, which Tressel confirmed yesterday.

Tressel said yesterday that Zwick will take about two-thirds of the snaps with the first team during spring workouts. Smith, who according to the NCAA will be reinstated after paying restitution to a charity on the money he received from a booster that led to his suspension, will take the remainder of the snaps.

“There’s always going to competition at Ohio State simply because we go after the best possible players out there,” senior offensive tackle Rob Sims said. “We have three great quarterbacks in Troy, Justin and Todd (Boeckman), so however the situation shakes out, that’s what we’re going to roll with.”

Tressel was not shy about stressing the need for experience in the backfield. After losing Lydell Ross and Maurice Hall to graduation, the Buckeyes return sophomore Antonio Pittman, who averaged 5.3 yards per carry in limited action during his freshman campaign, and redshirt freshman Erik Haw.

“They’re going to have to be warriors out there and mature quickly,” Tressel said. “We’ve got to find a back who can get in there and take the pounding and get right back up, but that comes with an experience factor, and I believe these two have a great opportunity to become an exciting backfield.”

Tressel said he was impressed with Pittman and Haw’s improvements in the weight room over the winter. He said both backs have increased their speed, strength and power.

During finals and spring break, Tressel said he and his coaching staff had the opportunity to visit other college campuses such as Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Cincinnati, LSU and Oklahoma to see how they compare to some of the top schools in the country.

“We used this time not only to evaluate other schools but to evaluate ourselves as well,” Tressel said. “We’d like to be very explosive and be able to attack defenses in as many ways as possible.”

One way they plan to accomplish that is with their strong returning core of receivers led by junior Santonio Holmes and sophomore speedster Ted Ginn, Jr.

“When you’re solid in the trenches and can make big plays out wide, you have a chance to have an explosive group of receivers,” Tressel said.

In addition to Holmes and Ginn, Jr., who both will return kickoffs and punts, the Buckeyes also return sophomore Anthony Gonzalez and junior Roy Hall.

On the defensive side, senior safety Nate Salley said he wants this year’s defensive corps to be one of the best in college football.

“The best thing about spring practice is that it gives you an opportunity to learn and to get some real live game action,” Salley said.

A slew of nagging injuries could cause starters such as senior safety Tyler Everett and senior linebacker Mike D’Andrea to see limited time during the spring, but could help the Buckeyes discover young talent.

“With guys being out, a lot of guys are going to get reps who need them,” Tressel said. “That also gives us an opportunity for us to find out what they’re really about.”

Because the Buckeyes need more experience at cornerback, Tressel talked about the possibility of shaking up the defensive unit depending upon the recovery speed of some of the injured players. He said Everett – as well as Ginn, Jr. – might see some time at conerback this season.

Although junior cornerback Ashton Youboty is the only returner at that position who has had significant playing time, Tressel still believes they will be a force on defense, with sophomore special teams playmaker Sirjo Welch and redshirt freshman Brandon Underwood looking to step into the picture this season.

“I really thought there was an excellent evolution in the way our defensive backs put hits on people last year,” Tressel said. “This year’s group has a great chance of continuing that.”

Senior A.J. Hawk, a first-team All-American last year, and his supporting cast of seniors Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel give the Buckeyes arguably one of the most feared units in the country.

When asked if a national championship was logically in reach for the Buckeyes this season, Tressel showed no hesitation in quickly answering yes.

“We have a lot of bright, talented and experienced guys on this team who understand what it takes to be a champion, but so do other teams,” he said. “So it’s up to us to decide what’s going to be the difference.”

Holmes was quick to add his input as well saying its all about keeping egos in check.

“When it comes to winning a championship, it’s not about you,” he said. “The more emphasis you put on the team the more you’re going to get out of it.”