Technical Tidbits 8/29: Kallon awaits homecoming in Europe, Miami dismisses best defenders

According to the Fremeau Efficiency Index, Georgia Tech has a 70 percent chance of finishing the 2016 football season at either 6-6, 7-5, and 8-4 -- good enough for a bowl berth. In simplest terms, the FEI is a "rating system based on opponent-adjusted drive efficiency" which can supposedly be a solid indicator of a team's success. However, it's no surprise that the formula has apparently had trouble projecting Tech's record over the past few seasons given the extreme nature of those past two outcomes. After all, the Jackets set a record for offensive efficiency in 2014 only to follow up with a historically awful season in 2015, at least relative to the offenses that Paul Johnson generally fields. It's probably safe to assume that this season's offensive drive efficiency will rest somewhere between those two values, if for no other reason than that it's extremely unlikely for it to be higher than 2014 or lower than 2015.

For Georgia Tech defensive lineman Francis Kallon, this week's game in Ireland will be more like a homecoming than an unique vacation. Kallon, who was born and raised in London before moving to Georgia during high school, expects to have a large turnout of friends and family for the game at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, which is just a short flight (or swim) away from his birthplace across the Irish Channel. In the article above, Kallon also hints at improvements to his diet and exercise routine which should help him to improve his overall game this season. If that all works out, a productive Francis Kallon would be unquestionably huge for Tech, which still lacks established answers along the defensive line. If not, it could be another twelve-game stretch of domination by opposing quarterbacks.

Everyone likes to poke fun at the AJC's Jeff Schultz for living on the glass-half-empty side when it comes to most things sports-related, but his recent breakdown of Tech's 2016 schedule has the Jackets finishing the regular season with an impressive 8-4 record. He also takes a moment to remark on Boston College's struggles across both basketball and football, which is hilarious but also potentially jinx-inducing.

Trivia: B.C. was first school in ACC history to go winless in both football and basketball in the conference. Fortunately, nobody in Boston noticed.

Got 'em. As for the rest of the games, I'd like to point out that he has Tech beating Miami and losing to Virginia Tech. Those two games could potentially shape the Coastal Division this season, and the prediction itself is sound. Miami just lost its two best defenders, defensive lineman Al-Quadin Muhammad and linebacker Jermaine Grace, putting the Hurricanes in a very precarious position in the late stages of the offseason. For those of you keeping track at home, that's the team's top returning tackler and sacks leader off the board. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, retained defensive coordinator Bud Foster, the single most annoying coordinator in history when it comes to stopping the option. There's no analysis needed for that. It just sucks.

Have a great last Monday without Georgia Tech football!