Any two conference teams that are actually competing will always be "conference rivals" but I don't think we're following in the footsteps of Georgia, for whom any and all opponents are a rival of some sort.
Everyone hates ThugU and ThugU hates everyone (that beats them, anyway). So in that sense maybe, but I don't think we're special (other than the fact that we whoop their a$$ 8 out of 10 times).