VinceDiCanzio is a staff writer and a journalism senior.He can be reached at: daletter@thedailyaztec.com

As the smoke in the Georgia Dome cleared and the St. Louis Ramscelebrated their heart-pounding Super Bowl victory on Sunday, theTennessee Titans were left in the locker room wondering.

Wondering what could have been if they had started the game’sfinal drive a yard closer to the end zone. Wondering if they hadblown their only chance at achieving the ultimate prize in football.Wondering if they would ever get back to this level again.

Less than a month earlier, Virginia Tech must have had similarthoughts after a hard-fought battle with college football powerhouseFlorida State in the national championship game.

The game wasn’t as close as the Super Bowl, but these championshipgames had two things in common.

Number one, both were won by teams with traditional dropbackquarterbacks, who had strong arms and precise passing with little toshow on the mobility side.

Number two, the losing teams were led by what looks to be theprototypical quarterback of the future, Tennessee’s Steve McNair andVirginia Tech freshman Michael Vick.

Yes, their teams lost. But they have nothing to feel bad about.

These warriors were nothing short of exciting as they ran, passedand displayed jaw-dropping feats of athleticism for their respectiveteams.

It just wasn’t their time yet. But it’s coming real soon. It’salmost a sure bet that we’ll see Vick and Virginia Tech in nextyear’s national championship game. It’s also certain that McNair andthe Titans aren’t some lucky overnight sensation. Thesehard-to-catch, slick-as-oil passers are the future of this positionand are here to stay.

Immobile dropback passers will no longer dominate the quarterbackposition in the future. It’s out with the Dan Marinos and in with theRandall Cunninghams and Steve Youngs.

But with the aging Cunningham and Young on the shelf, it’s in withthe McNairs, the Donovan McNabbs and the Tim Couches.

With defensive players becoming faster and defensive schemesbecoming more complicated, so must the offenses, especially that ofthe quarterback position.

Now, more than ever, an offense must learn to adjust and keep upwith these defenses that are evolving at a supersonic rate everyyear.

And what better way to do it than with a quarterback who can movearound and make plays outside the pocket. Too many pocket passershave been getting knocked out of games and seasons because of theirinability to avoid a blitzing linebacker or a speedy defensive end.

If Vinny Testaverde thinks he can come back and hang in the pocketwith his restructured knee while somebody like a Jevon Kearse iscoming after him full speed, he’d best retire while he still has hishead intact.

It’s not to say that mobile quarterbacks don’t get hurt. However,they have a better chance of avoiding injury and being able to turn asack into a positive gain than somebody like Testaverde or the greatMarino.

There is no doubt that Vick was sore for days after the SugarBowl. But there is also no doubt that without his athletic ability,the Florida State defense would have drove him into the Louisianaastroturf, leaving us with yet another Seminole blowout.

On at least five different occasions, Vick had to contend with twoor three Seminole defenders in his face, wrapped around his ankles,or in his back pocket. On all those plays, looking as if he was madeof rubber and greased down, he managed to juke those wannabe sackersand turn it into a big play. Anybody less mobile would have beenrubbed into the ground.

To put it bluntly, he made one of the nation’s top defenses lookjust plain silly at times. That’s what these types of quarterbackscan do.

Too bad Tech’s defense didn’t show up to play. If it had, this19-year-old would have a national title under his belt.

McNair did the same thing to the St. Louis defense on Sunday.

Anyone who watched the Super Bowl saw how valuable McNair’sinstinct and athleticism was in keeping the Titans in the game andturning it into a classic.

He broke the Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterbackwith 64, while passing for over 200 yards. More importantly hisscrambling came at the best possible time; when he was in danger ofgetting sacked on the final drive of the game.

It was the drive that showed the sporting world what thequarterback of the future will be able to do — turn the tables onthose complicated defenses.