I don't really understand what the controversy is. Anybody, whether it is Tennessee or Alabama, who gets two of the historically weakest SEC teams as their "Perma-Rivals" should just own up to it and be happy. Vanderbilt....probably the worst team historically in the SEC. We can look up the records easy enough, but I don't think we need to. They're OK this year, but c'mon. Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining.
Kentucky can have good and great teams at times, but as far as I know they've never won the East Division, and have not won the SEC since the 70's. FFS they've lost 16 straight to Georgia.
I'd wager, worst teams in the SEC year in and year out over the last 30 years..in order...Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Miss State, Ole Miss, Arkansas. And Arkansas HAS in fact won the West division at least 3 times that I know of, while Miss State has won once. Ole Miss has never won.