College coaching might be one of the worst jobs out there if you are looking for job security. Texas Longhorns legend Mack Brown was forced out after doing an admirable job at perhaps the country’s best, and toughest, job. High salaries also come with high expectations and high stress.

Saturday’s matchup between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Vanderbilt Commodores pitted two coaches who now find themselves on the hottest of seats against one another. People in Nashville have been calling for Derek Mason’s job for a while now. Vandy fans were spoiled with James Franklin for three years before he bolted for Penn State, and Mason has failed to deliver the same type of win totals.

Mark Stoops, conversely, arrived in Lexington to fans who understood there was a lot of work that needed to be done to repair the mess Joker Phillips had left in his wake. Stoops had shown improvement in each of his three seasons, but fans are now growing anxious in the midst of a five-game losing streak.

An increased talent level and a very down year for the SEC has not translated to many wins for the Wildcats, and Saturday’s loss at Vanderbilt now has a growing number of ‘Cats fans making pleas to the university: win the last two games and go bowling for the first time in the Stoops era, or fire the man and start anew.

Mason’s win on Saturday bought him some time at Vanderbilt, and Stoops should be safe for a while if he continues to recruit at the level he has, but both coaches have failed to capitalize on one of the most down years the SEC East has seen in recent history.

While Stoops has excelled on the recruiting trail and the talent he has wooed to Lexington is still young, he has been unable to overpower teams of far inferior talent levels. Eastern Kentucky took the Wildcats to overtime, and though Vandy’s defense is formidable, Kentucky has a much more talented roster top to bottom.

There have been multiple instances of visible disorganization among units and a disconnect between members of the coaching staff. Stoops has also been able to bridge the gap between a well-reported divide in the locker room. Luckily for Stoops, there are two games on the schedule every year that serve as an “erase all” to the negative memories of UK fans: Tennessee and Louisville.

The Tennessee game is obviously long lost, but looming two weeks from now is the matchup with Bobby Petrino’s Cardinals in Commonwealth Stadium. A win in that game alone, even if the team is blown out in its subsequent bowl game (this is all assuming the ‘Cats won’t do the impossible and botch a home matchup with lowly Charlotte) would buy Stoops at least another season, and perhaps more.

If Stoops can buy himself one or two more years, he should finally reap the rewards of the talent he has successfully mined for. Kentucky’s top four receivers are just sophomores, as is tailback Boom Williams, and freshman tight end C.J. Conrad is a star in the making. Just win the Louisville game.