Biggest problem I saw with the Sun Belt was the lower tier schools AI for recruiting was set in stone. They only go after players in their tier, even if its from a pipeline. Put that against a user who is aggressively trying to better their roster - even with house rules in effect - and its easy to see why we're lapping them by year 3.
Kennesaw State is new enough that they aren't entrenched in the Conference USA. I could see them moving to the Big 12, because i think you'll have the same problem if you move up to the American.
It’s Kennesaw State. Perfect for the State-12, I mean Pac-12
Georgia Tech needs to take a page out of Kennesaw State and do the hard thing
and then do the easy thing By Bernie Flowers November 24h, 2027
With the 31-29 loss to SMU, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fell to 3-8 on the season as they head into the season finale in what promises to be a blowout loss to rival Georgia in the Governor's Cup. Less than twelve months ago, the Yellow Jackets fired Brent Key and replaced him with Western Michigan's Lance Taylor, a bold decision at the time that in retrospect was not only a bold decision but the wrong one.
Key, who took on the head coaching job at Tulane, is 8-3 and has an outside shot at making the playoffs in his first year with the Green Wave. Taylor had a 27-26 record at Western Michigan prior to being hired in a move that left many fans, alumni and pundits scratching their heads. It's time for Georgia Tech's athletic department to bite the bullet, admit their mistake and try to move on.
Nearly forty minutes north, Kennesaw State was in a similar situation just four years ago when the athletic department made the hugely unpopular decision to part ways from head coach Brian Bohannon following the program's first season at the FBS level. Bohannon was the only coach the program had ever had since its inception in 2015 but athletic director Milton Overton felt at the time that the program needed different leadership to guide its transition to the FBS.
Athletic directors only get so many firings which is what made Georgia Tech AD Ryan Alpert's decision in his second year at the helm to fire Key, a beloved figure and former alumni, such a puzzling one. It was only compounded by the unexpected and unaspiring hiring of Taylor who had only been a head coach for the past four seasons at Western Michigan where he didn't win a bowl game until his third year, ironically against Kennesaw State.
As hesitant as Alpert might be to use up one of his allotted firings in back-to-back offseason, it might be the only move that can save his job as both the firing of Key and the hiring of Taylor has him on thin ice. Waiting for Taylor to bottom out, lose even more public support from fans, alumni and the booster base is only going to dig a bigger hole than he'd be able to dig out of, if he's even afforded the opportunity to.
Overton's decision to fire Bohannon and hire Bubba Mack, a veteran offensive line coach that also happened to be his former college teammate, was a bold and successful move. Mack, an Atlanta native who was part of Kennesaw State's inaugural coaching staff back in 2015, had the NFL pedigree and local ties to inject some life into a program that underfunded with a bleak future. The Owls made it to a bowl game in his first year, made it to a conference championship game in his second year and are currently on their way to potentially making the playoffs in his third season. This past weekend, for the second straight week, starters only played a half as the Owls routed yet another opponent on their way to their tenth win of the year. The Yellow Jackets last tenth win season was in 2014.
Alpert should not only follow Overton's footsteps and fire his head coach but he should keep copying Overton's homework and go after Mack. Mack has shown himself to be the sort of program builder and culture setter that the Yellow Jackets desperately need. They appeared to be on the right track under Key but the lackluster end of season records and lack of accomplishments left the program wanting more. They thought Taylor, an outsider, would bring that. Instead, the Yellow Jackets have a recruited class ranked 53 spots bellow Kennesaw State's, an offense that's averaging 24 points less than Kennesaw State's and allowing sixteen points more than Kennesaw State's.
The decision is tough, no doubt, but the answer is clear. Mack has rebuild a program that he found in a worse state than Georgia Tech's current situation and built into a team that not only would beat Georgia Tech, on any field, but probably by double digits.
(10-1, 6-1 C-USA, No. 17 CFP)(1-10, 1-6 C-USA) Kennesaw State Owls at Florida International Panthers Pitbull Stadium - Sat 11/27/27, 6:00
Team Schedule
at Buffalo (7-4): L 38-3
vs. South Carolina (4-7): L 28-3
at New Mexico State (7-4): L 27-21
vs. Florida Atlantic (7-4): L 35-14
at Delaware (4-7): W 28-20
vs. UConn (5-6): L 21-14
at Missouri State (4-7): L 37-34
at Western Kentucky (6-5): L 27-14
vs. Liberty (8-3): L 38-17
vs. Jacksonville State (5-6): L 37-20
vs. Sam Houston (3-8): L 40-35
Team Leaders
Passing: Tyler Proctor 45 cmp%, 2593 yards, 13 TD, 14 INT
Rushing: Anthony Carrie 937 yards, 4.9 ypc, 7 TD
Receiving: Kenny Williams 55 receptions, 716 yards, 2 TD
Defense: Antonio Robinson Jr. 48 tackles, 3 INT
Last Meeting CFB 2026 Regular Season, Week 7 - Pitbull Stadium, Miami, Florida
(5-2, 3-0) Kennesaw State Owls 52 - 06 Florida International Panthers (3-4, 1-2) ---QB Skyler Williams 32-47, 356 Yds, 7 Total TD ---LB Donelius Johnson 14 Tkl, 7 TFL, 2 Sacks ---QB Tyler Proctor 13-25, 131 Yds ---DT Su Agunloye 5 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack
Injuries HB Anthony Carrie (Senior) Dislocated Ankle (Season) TE Sean Burke (Junior) Broken Tibia (Season) EDGE Jelani Forsett (Freshman) Broken Ankle (Season) G Erik Diejl (Junior) Fractured Shoulder Blade (Season) T Mike Veldman (Junior) Broken Ribs (Out) G Nikola Milovac (Senior) Pulled Groin (Out)
(10-1, 6-1 C-USA)
Kam Davis, 58 Yd run (11:55)
Jacob Taylor, 48 Yd FG (0:00)
LSU throws a monkey wrench into things as they knock off Georgia, potentially eliminating an additional SEC team from making the playoffs
Bulldogs leapfrog Boise State to put themselves in contention for automatic playoff bid with win over Broncos
Ole Miss' playoff chances go down in flames with three-point loss to No. 7 Alabama as they fall to 7-4
QB Tyler Proctor 13-25, 131 Yds
