I said years ago that GA State would eventually be a GT problem. A lot of GT fans dismissed them since we have this uppity issue among our fanbase, then they got invited into an FBS conference. Still not at our level....yet.
However, they are ripe for a conference like the Big 12, which is a P5 conference. They would form a natural rivalry with UCF which just joined the Big 12. Given the loss of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, Big 12 is going after "secondary" schools in large TV markets makes a LOT of sense. Everything changes for GA State if the Big 12 comes after them. They can now market themselves as a P5 program, with access to the college football playoffs. Their budget goes up...AND they don't have to wrestle with the academic issues that GT does when they recruit.
GA State has been the beneficiary of timing, if not actual on the football field results. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good...and GA State has been at the right place at the right time since they started their program.