Saturday is far more than just another football game...

This is it, make no mistake about it. This is Coach Rich Brooks' biggest game as head coach at the University of Kentucky. There have been plenty of big games over the last seven seasons for the football program, but in my opinion, none bigger than Saturday's showdown against the Tennessee Volunteers. This just feels different, it just feels like this could be a win that could change a lot of things for this program. On the other hand, a loss could keep the program stuck in neutral.

The Cats already have two historic wins this season, wins at Georgia and at Auburn. Those were big games, but they were games that most believed UK would lose, yet Brooks' team found a way to win. Those wins helped put the Cats in a position to finish second in the SEC-East, a feat that Kentucky hasn't accomplished since the SEC divided into two divisions. That is the difference, a win helps UK finish above Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina in the SEC standings. That just doesn't happen, it's not supposed to happen in most people's opinion and that is why this game is different. Why it's not just big, but monumental.

Here are just some of the things that this team can accomplish with a win Saturday.

• UK's first 8 win season (regular season) since 1984


• UK's first win over Tennessee since 1984


• UK would likely be invited to the Outback Bowl


• UK would finish with wins against UT, AU & UGA for the first time ever


• UK would finish 2nd in the SEC-E for the first time ever

What Rich Brooks has done at UK is nothing short of remarkable. He is already the first coach to ever win three straight bowl games and has multiple marquee wins on his resume in Lexington. Let's not forget he has beaten LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Clemson and Georgia twice. He can lose this game and still be a legitimate candidate for coach of the year in the SEC. Most people picked Kentucky to finish close to the bottom of the SEC and considered a 4th straight bowl appearance a long shot. Who would of thought that with all the adversity this team has went through, that this could be his best season at UK?

Still, with everything on the line, there is something more than stats and milestones that Kentucky continues to play for and that is respect. The culture in Lexington is firmly changing, but it's journey to relevance is far from over. A win Saturday could be remembered as the day it changed for good.