Ask yourself this, why is a good coach so valuable at the college level? Even more so than at the NFL level?

And the answer is the biggest difference between college and NFL - recruiting. Not just that some coaches are better at it, but that the very presence of a big-name, respected coach can be a recruiting inducement in and of itself.

USC can't directly pay players. But they can throw money at Lincoln Riley. And that has the same effect.

This weekend, Lincoln Riley announced he was leaving Oklahoma for USC. Less than 24 hours later, QB Malachi Nelson (#2 prospect in the country) decommitted from Oklahoma. As of yesterday, he's a USC commit.

Riley can have that effect on numerous players so it means hiring him is as cost effective as trying to pay them all. And it's not against NCAA rules