8 reasons pointing to a stellar 2007

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2007 | by Kelly Whiteside

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Nick Saban would rather not talk about the number of zeros and commas on his paycheck. After all, the nation's highest-paid college football coach, the $4 million man, took a pay cut when he left the Miami Dolphins for Alabama in January.

"It's not about money for me," Saban said twice for emphasis. Fair or not, the money puts him in his profession's toughest tax bracket: most scrutinized coach in the country.

Take the fat paycheck. Add the Crimson Tide's storied tradition and the expectations of their fired-up fans. Factor in Saban's brusque exit from Miami, plus his uneasy relationship with the media. Include his Bowl Championship Series national title as coach at Southeastern Conference rival LSU four seasons ago. The result? An intensely...