Because South Carolina is legitimately one of the Poors in the SEC. Even though that’s BS and they get the coin takes to them like everyone else, they hoard it like they are going to get sent to the CUSA any year.
I get that. Not sure they really do. Every SC fan I've ever met is convinced they're upper half of the SEC. George Rogers! Steve Spurrier! Jadewhatvereon Clowner! Drunk Garcia!!
But that's typical, I think, for several schools.
A&M: Their perception is that they are an elite program. Prove it by spending money like a coke-addled rock star while they get nothing for it. Johnny FOOTBALL!! Better than Cam!
Ole Miss: They consider themselves true SEC bluebloods. Championship pedigree. Three national titles, you know (a number they invented around the time Orgeron was there, the actual number is zero), rank them ahead of Auburn and Georgia and right on par with Florida and LSU (were ahead of LSU before 2019, actually). Mannings, bitch!
MSU: Ask a Bulldog fan and he'll trot out Dak Prescott, Dan Mullen, Jackie Sherill and some running back or something and earnestly try to convince you that they are in the same tier as Auburn and LSU. They believe it.
Arkansas: Darren McFadden was probably the greatest running back in the SEC, ever. Better than Bo or Herschel. Look it up. Bobby Damn Petrino!!! Arkansas fans also believe there is a tier that includes Alabama and (depending on the year) Georiga, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida or LSU. They truly believe their program (historically) resides in the same tier as (depending on the year) Georgia, Auburn, Florida or LSU. Tennessee, for some reason, is beneath them.
Each of those programs consider themselves in a tier above the others, in the mix with AU, UGA, UF, UT and LSU, all deely clinging to the belief they exist just slightly below Alabama (historically).
They are all wrong.
Vandy fans know they suck and don't care. Degrees.
Missouri fans think they are in the SWAC.
Kentucky fans write a few random dots (Bryant, Curci, Mumme, Stoops) and then remind you that they once stole Bill Curry from Alabama.
Georgia, Florida, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee (historically) make up the upper deck with fucktarded cheating Alabama a filthy rung above (historically).