Notre Dame Football: 10 Things to Expect for the 2012 Blue-Gold Game

Is this the year Notre Dame gets the job done? It will certainly be the first step in getting this program heading into the right direction.

This Irish will host their spring game on April 21 and is a chance for every player to prove themselves in a game-like atmosphere what they're capable of.

Notre Dame returns 15 starters from a year ago, including eight on the offensive side of the ball. There should be several positives to take away from the spring game this weekend.

Here are 10 things to expect for the Fighting Irish spring game.

Aaron Lynch Will Participate

Remember the news that defensive end Aaron Lynch was missing from campus?  Everybody was concerned that he may consider transferring from the school or didn't want to play football anymore or whatever the concern of the day was.

Great news for Irish fans: He is back on the field and is once again participating in practice. You should expect to see him in the spring game, and you can sleep soundly knowing that your sack leader is staying true to Notre Dame.

And in other news...

Christian Lombard to Earn a Spot on the Offensive Line

With the offensive line losing a couple of pieces during the offseason, there are issues with this unit. One of the key players who has stepped up in the spring is sophomore Christian Lombard. He was a backup behind Taylor Dever at left tackle a year ago, but has improved so much that he'll likely become a starter at either right guard or right tackle.

“He’s established,” offensive line coach Harry Hiestand said via the Sun Times. “But it’s early in spring and the development of him and the rest of the guys, we’ll see what course that takes as we go, but we’re happy with the progress he’s making.”

Hiestand can continue to be a little hesitant with naming him a starter right away, but the former 4-star recruit has the skill set to get the job done. Expect to see him somewhere on the line and dominate the competition.

Outside Linebacker to Remain a Battle

The outside linebacker position is going to be very important for the Irish to have success on defense. The winner of the competition must be able to do it all, and that includes everything from rushing the passer to having solid coverage skills.

As of right now, the two favorites to replace Darius Fleming are Danny Spond and Ben Councell. In fact, it's such a close battle that you shouldn't expect a decision to be made off of just one spring game.

“It’s a very competitive situation,” Kelly said via the Journal Gazette. “(Spond) has a little bit more of a knowledge base going in, relative to the defense, but I think (defensive coordinator Bob Diaco) said this best, when it really comes down to the safety position and the ‘will’ linebacker position and maybe even the ‘dog,’ they can pick the game they want to start.”

This has been one of the best battles throughout the spring and should remain a battle heading into fall camp.

A New Theo Riddick

Theo Riddick has spent the last two seasons lined up at the wide receiver position, but will spend the majority of this season at running back. He's very excited about it and wants everybody to know that he plans on having a very big year for the Irish.

“I’m excited to be back there,” Riddick told 247sports “I can’t wait, to be honest with you, just to show everybody I can do it and be effective at it.”

Riddick has bulked up and added a few more pounds of muscle, as he entered the spring at a solid 203 pounds. Expect to see a faster and more complete running back this spring and somebody who can really help this offense improve with a couple of key players leaving.

Tyler Eifert to Be Moved Around a Lot

Tight end Tyler Eifert is one of the top players at his position in all of college football. Now that he's proved that with ridiculous numbers last season, his role is going to expand, especially with wide receiver Michael Floyd no longer around. He's in the process of learning how to play every receiver spot within the offense.

"It's been everything (the coaches) said they'd do, move me around and stuff like that," Eifert said via Rivals.com "All last year I knew what I was doing pretty much every play. I knew what most of the guys are doing. It's been a little challenging to learn. It's the first time I've had to learn some stuff in quite a while."

Eifert still has some time to learn the different ways to line up, and you can expect to see him in different spots all over the field in the spring game and this season.

Robby Toma Will Do a Bit of the Same

Robby Toma isn't the biggest wide receiver at 5'9", 185 pounds, nor is he the most effective considering he's caught a total of 36 passes in his first three seasons. But all of those things are about to change (except for his small frame), as his role also looks to increase this season and he's also learning to line up on different parts of the field.

“I always tell [Kelly] that he finally figured out my talents and now he’s starting to utilize them,” Toma said via 247sports “Hey, nobody thought I could do it. When I get out there I think everybody is surprised.”

Toma is a player with a great attitude and always plays bigger on the football field than he really is. He looks to be set for the biggest season in his career, and it all starts with solid production in the spring game.

John Goodman to Move Up the Depth Chart?

John Goodman is a former 4-star recruit and had a lot of hype coming out of high school in 2008. But in his last three seasons, he has yet to live up to the hype, catching just 28 passes and only scoring one touchdown. He is back for his fifth season, and the way he's being talked about in practice, you'd think he's finally ready for his breakout season.

“Really, from a wide receiver position, he’s been our go-to guy,” Kelly said, according to the South Bend Tribune. “He has stepped up his game considerably. He’s got a ways to go, but I expect him to do really big things for us.”

Goodman has the talent to breakout and the work ethic to succeed in this offense. You also have to believe that they wouldn't have brought him back for a fifth season if they didn't have plans for him in this offense. Look for a solid spring game for him and possibly making a quiet move up the depth chart.

Sheldon Day Play a True Freshman?

Notre Dame once again brought in a very solid recruiting class this season, and one of the recruits has already hit the field this spring and is standing out amongst his peers. His name is Sheldon Day, and he's a 5-star recruit at the defensive tackle position. He's capable of playing inside or outside and has really impressed coaches with how quickly he's picked things up.

“He’s way ahead of where we’d thought he would be in his technique and everything,” said defensive line coach Mike Elston via Rivals. “He’s a solid, solid player right now. Just still being a senior in high school, he’s really showed some good technique.”

Will he see the field his true freshman year? Who knows? But if he plays as well in the spring game as he's done in practice, it'll really make things difficult on the coaches to say no.

The Quarterback Competition to Be a Wash

Will it be Andrew Hendrix, Tommy Rees, Gunner Kiel or Everett Golson?

This is the question every Irish fan has been asking since the end of last season and will continue to ask until an answer is provided. The bottom line is that this is a decision that won't come overnight. Just because there's a solid performance in the spring game does not guarantee that player will be the starter come September.

With so many players competing for one spot and each player having different skill sets, you can expect this battle to last well into the fall and a decision likely to be made just a week or two before the regular season begins.

Solid Spring Performance

Notre Dame may not have as many questions as other teams in college football do, but they do have their fair share of issues that are preventing them from possibly becoming a BCS bowl-caliber team. That's why this spring game is so important for this team, as it will provide a little more insight at the positions that have questions.

It may not give us answers right away, but we should have a slightly better feel for this team than we do right now.

Expect to see a competitive spring game and solid performances overall.