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Misery Index, Week 6: Auburn's poor start puts Gus Malzahn's $49M deal under microscope

The Red River Rivalry and Heisman-level performances headline college football's Week 6 action. USA TODAY

Though people have tried to quantify it in a variety of ways, there’s no great answer for how much a football coach is actually worth to a school. One answer, of course, is to simply open up the salary database that was published by USA TODAY Sports this week, which now shows 13 coaches making at least $5 million per year and 39 making at least $3.5 million per year.

Sure, there are a few examples at the top where a coach’s true value to the school exceeds the number on a contract, and we’re not just talking about Nick Saban, Urban Meyer or Dabo Swinney.