Poll Results: What validated the BYU QB Factory the Most?

The results are in, and voters say the most validating accomplishment for the BYU QB factory was Ty Detmer’s Heisman Trophy with 43% of the vote. The 1984 National Championship and Jim McMahon winning the Super Bowl both had 26% of the votes, while Marc Wilson being an NFL 1st Rounder was last with 5%.

While all of these selections brought validity to the BYU QB Factory, for me, this came down to choosing between Jim McMahon winning the Super Bowl and Ty Detmer’s Heisman Trophy.

Marc Wilson being an NFL 1st rounder is out because the very next year, McMahon put up video game numbers and BYU only had one loss, but BYU couldn’t crack the top 10 in the rankings and McMahon was a very distant 5th place in Heisman Trophy voting. The 1984 National Championship is a team accomplishment. Alabama QB Greg McElroy won a national championship, but no one is touting him as a future NFL star, or even one of the best college QBs of his era. Robbie Bosco had a very good statistical year, and I love the heart and guts he showed in the Holiday Bowl, but a national championship validates a progam more than the quarterback position.

How much of a role did McMahon winning the super bowl have in Detmer winning the Heisman Trophy? The voters could have easily given it to Notre Dame WR/KR Raghib “The Rocket” Ismail instead, just like they did Notre Dame WR/KR Tim Brown in 1987. Detmer played great and deserved to be in the thick of the race on his merits alone. Maybe, this is the wrong way to look at it.

The poll question asked about validating the QB factory. The BYU QB Factory resume needed both a super bowl win and a Heisman Trophy to be complete. In the end, I think the Heisman carries more weight than the Lombardi Trophy. Winning the Super Bowl is also more of a team accomplishment than winning the Heisman Trophy. With a BYU QB winning the Heisman Trophy, the QB Factory was validated more than with a team winning a championship.

Thank you to everyone who voted. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll: “Should Jake Heaps do a trick shot QB video?” (Like the UConn and Monmouth QB videos.)

The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com

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