It’s still early, but so far South Carolina is shaping into Missouri’s real SEC rival.

The SEC has tried to tell Mizzou that their rival is Arkansas for years. The game is played the week of Thanksgiving. The opponent is due south. Their state name even includes Mizzou’s old rival!

They even made a big, shiny trophy for the winner! What more could you ask for?!

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But Arkansas isn’t Mizzou’s rival. Not by a long shot. It never was, and it may never be in the future.

I’ve always been of the opinion there are two different classifications of rivalries: traditional and competitive.