Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops On The Vols

Nov 2, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops during the game against the Alabama State Hornets at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

The matchup on Saturday between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats is a game that means very little to anyone outside of those two programs.

But within those two programs the game is extremely important, as both teams are desperately trying to end their season a high note.

On Monday, during Mark Stoops weekly press conference, the Kentucky head coach spoke about the Vols and noted some of the similarities between the two programs.

"Stoops: They are a team I think a lot like us in that they play some games extremely hard trying to do anything they can to get a win.  They are a team that’s getting better and their program is moving forward as we all know.  I think similar to us in a lot of ways, and I think I respect the way they coach them and the way they play them. Probably a lot like us, you see signs all over the place of a team that’s very close.  They have had some good wins and they have had some tough losses."

I don’t agree with Stoops assumption that Kentucky is as “close” at this point as Tennessee, because that clearly isn’t the case.

What does stick out to me, however, is the respect that Stoops displays for Butch Jones and the coaching staff at Tennessee.

This is the 12th and final game of the season and glowing respect/praise for Butch Jones has been exhibited on 12 different occasions this season.

That’s not something you saw the previous four years under the two coaches prior to Butch Jones.

The way your peers view you is incredibly telling.

I know a lot of Vol fans are frustrated right now. I know a lot of them are frustrated with the coaching staff, but fans need to look no further than Jones’ fellow coaches to see just exactly who they have leading them on Rocky Top.