The second weekend of March Madness is usually less, well, mad. There are a lot fewer games, which can sometimes lead to less excitement.

For the most part, our bracket challenge to determine the greatest single season in SEC history has run true to form. Three of the four No. 1 seeds are still alive, plus only one of the eight players left was lower than a 4-seed.

At the game’s most important position, voters have evolved just like actually playing quarterback has — scramblers are en vogue, while pocket passers are passé. For the running backs, what’s most coveted is big young men who can really run. The receivers tend to be athletic freaks who defy the laws of physics.

Conversely, when it comes to the defenders, the voting has reflected a nod back to a simpler time when a pass rusher could just be a pass rusher. The two finalists in that region both departed the conference about 30 years ago.

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Your vote will determine who moves on to the Final Four, so here’s a closer look at all the battles for the Round of 8.

QUARTERBACK REGION

4 Johnny Manziel (2012) vs. 2 Cam Newton (2010)

Manziel managed to survive a battle of Heisman Trophy winners, as he eliminated 1-seed Tim Tebow in the Round of 16.

Newton, another Heisman alumnus, took care of 6-seed Peyton Manning to put himself on the precipice of the Final Four. Not only were Manziel and Newton big performers in the SEC, but the two passers had big personalities, too.

The first freshman to walk away with the Heisman, Manziel was the quintessential dual threat for Texas A&M with 3,706 yards passing and another 1,410 on the ground. He threw for 26 touchdowns and ran in another 21, often doing so in hard-to-explain fashion. His upset of then-No. 1 Alabama was an instant classic.

As for Newton, it’s hard to top what he did during his lone season at Auburn. Not only did he take home the Heisman — 30 TDs passing, another 20 rushing — but he also directed the Tigers to a 14-0 record and a national championship.

While Manziel flamed out in the NFL, Newton became league MVP. But that doesn’t matter. This is all about one-year greatness in college.


RUNNING BACK REGION

1 Herschel Walker (1981) vs. 3 Derrick Henry (2015)

Walker walked past Darren McFadden of Arkansas in the third round and really hasn’t been challenged to this point in the tournament.

Henry, on the other hand, even though he owns single-season records in the SEC for carries (395), yards rushing (2,219) and rushing touchdowns (28), had to really fight his way past Bo Jackson of Auburn in Round 3.

The marks Henry broke all used to belong to Walker, who ran 385 times for 1,891 yards and 18 TDs in Year 2 of his three-year reign at Georgia. Arguably the most celebrated player the conference has ever produced, his blend of power and speed blazed a trail for the likes of Jackson, Henry and so many other gifted ball carriers.

It’s worth noting that Walker’s numbers were accumulated in just 11 games — postseason statistics weren’t counted back in 1981. Henry had 15 contests at his disposal in 2015, so Walker’s per-game averages for attempts and yards were higher.

Still, Henry was no less dominant. While Alabama rode him all the way to a national title, Walker’s Bulldogs were upset in the Sugar Bowl.


WIDE RECEIVER REGION

1 Amari Cooper (2014) vs. 15 Julio Jones (2010)

Like Walker, Cooper has been on cruise control thus far during March Madness. He took out Peerless Price of Tennessee in the previous round.

Somehow still alive as a 15-seed, Jones continues his curious run after putting away Alshon Jeffery of South Carolina, this despite the fact that Jones was statistically inferior to Jeffery for catches, yards and touchdowns in 2010.

What Cooper did in 2014 is the stuff of legend, though. He set a league record with 124 receptions, plus his 1,727 yards receiving fell only 13 short of the all-time mark set by LSU’s Josh Reed — Jones eliminated him, too — in 2001. As a result, Cooper won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s premier pass catcher.

Nobody is denying how sensational Jones was at Alabama. As a matter of fact, Jones laid the groundwork for a player like Cooper to have so much success. Tuscaloosa could indeed be a place for a wideout to put up jaw-dropping numbers.

Nevertheless, Jones was only third in the SEC in catches (78), second in yards (1,133) and tied for sixth in TDs (7) that year.


DEFENSIVE PLAYER REGION

1 Derrick Thomas (1988) vs. 3 Reggie White (1983)

Thomas has dominated the region and put away his first three opponents with relative ease. This is not a surprise.

White worked his way past LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu in the third round. He previously defeated Georgia’s Champ Bailey and Ole Miss’s Patrick Willis, so all three of White’s victims were both excellent in college and otherworldly in the NFL.

Sack figures are unreliable historically, as quite a lot of football was played prior to the sack being adopted as an official statistic. That being said, Thomas had 27.0 in what was most likely the single-greatest season ever assembled by a pass rusher. He simply lived behind the enemy line of scrimmage for Alabama.

A weekly nightmare for quarterbacks in his own right, White was credited with 15.0 sacks and also had an even 100 tackles for Tennessee. As I’ve written throughout this bracket challenge, that’s a ludicrous number for a defensive lineman.

Both Thomas and White are no longer with us. They died at 33 and 43 years old, respectively. Their legacies will live forever, though.


John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.