It's part of the reason 4 of the 12 SEC schools held the other hostage for the permanent cross-divisional games. Sure, UGA-Auburn and Bama-TEnnessee had longtime rivalries with each other, but the rest of us didn't with the others in the conference.
Take Florida, pre-division play. We were paired up with LSU. Why? Don't ask why, there's no real reason. Up to 1990 (when they were decided, not implemented for play until 1992):
Gms - Opp
69 - UGA
68 - Auburn
49 - Miami (OOC)
45 - Miss State
41 - Kentucky
39 - GA Tech (OOC)
37 - LSU.......................so we're paired with the 7th-most played program, 5th-most within the then-current SEC, and 3rd-most West team. What?!? Well, UGA was married to Auburn. And it wasn't Miss State because......reasons?
Okay, so maybe LSU's most common East program was Florida?
Nuuupe.
Gms-Opp
81 - Miss State
80 - Tulane (OOC)
74 - Ole Miss
54 - Rice (OOC)
52 - Alabama
43 - Texas A&M (OOC)
41 - Kentucky
37 - Florida..................So the 8th-most played, 5th within the SEC, and the 2nd-most East team.
.
2 actual rivals basically held the rest of us hostage to get their games, and the rest of us were thrown together like a sandwich.
Alabama-Tennessee were PB& J,
Auburn-Georgia were ham & cheese,
The rest of us are bologna & ketchup.