Poor Damn Ronnie Bell. Some weird drops stuff hit the internet a few days back. First a CBS article mostly focused on Miami QB Jarren Williams, who hit the portal after the Hurricanes took Houston transfer D'Eriq King. The article makes the case that Williams stats underrate him because Miami had a ton of drops and then incidentally bombs Michigan's WR corps:

Williams' on-target rate was a full 16 percent better than his completion rate. Of the 106 FBS QBs with at least 200 pass attempts last season, only one had a more considerable disparity between their completion percentage and on-target rate. That was Michigan's Shea Patterson, who had an on-target rate of 75.2 percent while completing only 56.2 percent of his passes for a 19 percent difference (so maybe it wasn't his fault at Michigan, either).

Per this article Michigan WRs had the worst catch rate in the country. If this caused you to do a double-take we are on the same page. I went back to UFR charting through 11 games and that does not line up with my takes, to say the least. A guy on twitter summed it up:

If you go by the most difficult receptions (circus catches) on UFR through the IU game, they caught 41% of those. 72% on moderate difficulty. 94% on easy. Only explanation is that this service is saying balls mgoblog thought wasn't catchable as 'on-target'.

— ikestoys (@ikestoys) January 24, 2020

Routine catches make up a majority of charted attempts so I am nowhere near that.

The same service tossed some individual numbers to Tom Fornelli and ah yes there it is:

Highest drop rate among FBS receivers with a minimum of 50 targets in 2019 pic.twitter.com/ltVsIx2vOr

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) January 26, 2020

All those balls that dinked off Bell's fingernails apparently count. (Also how does Michigan have a catch rate of just 75% if Bell, who got the most targets, is the worst guy in the country with an 83% catch rate?)  Are we filing this as a drop?

I'm not. This is why UFRs have clips and context.

[After THE JUMP: the dirtiest player in the game]

Uche moving up. He did well for himself at the Senior Bowl:

Josh Uche, Edge, Michigan: More coming on Uche next week and a bit further down in this post (double teaser!), but he had an excellent week. “He’s helped himself as much as any player here,” a source told The Athletic after Wednesday’s workout. Speaking during Tuesday’s media day, Uche said he thought he’d surprise people with what he could do in coverage — “I’m quick enough, I’m fast enough to keep up with a lot of guys, and I’m ready to show what I can do” — and then backed that up.

That's the Athletic's Chris Burke, who touched on the local guys at the Senior Bowl before writing an in-depth piece on what the Lions will do. Ben Bredeson also got some positive mention; Patterson, Hudson, and Metellus not so much. Uche was also featured by Dane Brugler:

After I post a mock draft or prospect rankings, I often hear from friends around the league with feedback about what they agree with or where they might disagree. After I posted my latest top-100 board earlier this month, I heard from two scouts who thought I had Uche too high at No. 60 overall, seeing him more as a late third-rounder. However, I received a text from one of those scouts late this week: “You might be right about that #6 at Michigan.” It was predictable that Uche would be a standout in one-on-one’s because of his explosive speed to undress blockers in space. But it was the way he progressed throughout the week dropping into coverage and playing the run that really left a lasting impression. Uche had a money-making week.

Patterson came for some harsh takes, with Bleacher Report's Matt Miller saying it was a surprise he even made the Senior Bowl:

Shea Patterson was the least impressive of the quarterbacks in Mobile for the week and routinely struggled to hit passes accurately both in the practices and games.

Patterson did hit a nice wheel-route throw for an easy run-in touchdown during the game, but he followed it up with a bad misfire overthrow that led to a pick by the South's Kindle Vildor. Patterson, who came to the Senior Bowl with major accuracy questions, continued to struggle throughout the week.

It was a surprise to most analysts when Patterson was invited to Mobile, and the week did not help his case to be drafted.

In a way this is good news: once Gattis settled in he was able to get good production out of an inconsistent quarterback who is barely on NFL radars. In a way not so much: Harbaugh's reputation as a QB whisperer takes a major hit with Patterson's regression.

Add it to the Dad Bravison list. Major Wisconsin schadenfreude last night as Iowa stormed back from a 12 point deficit with a 21-2 run over the last seven minutes. They were significantly aided by this Brad Davison flagrant foul for cup-checking an opponent on a screen:

Brad “Chris Paul” Davison pic.twitter.com/441QAaTiF0

— The U.S. of NCAA (@theUSofNCAA) January 28, 2020

Davison was called for the same thing last year against Marquette and has gotten away with it many times. And then there was this last year against Minnesota:

Anyone catch Brad Davison's attempt at taking out Jordan Murphy? #Gophers @NadineBabu @GopherHole pic.twitter.com/xlbE7H6jxE

— Andy Habhegger (@Habby831) February 7, 2019

Time to suspend the guy. Possibly from the rafters.

Yiiiiiikes. The Davison incident was only the second most cringeworthy thing about the Davison incident thanks to Graham Couch:

This Brad Davison groin punch - and that it’s a thing he’s done before - is why kids from the burbs ought to be dropped off on city courts to learn their craft. This shit only happens when kids spend too much time running the court in Maple Grove.

— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) January 28, 2020

There are many many suburban basketball players across the country and only one of them is running around whanging guys in the yinkles. Whatever's wrong with Davison wouldn't be fixed by… the implication black people are more violent? How does this guy have a job again?

BONUS: Former MSU beat guy Joe Rexrode fled to the relative sanity of Nashville and is now free to let his Couch related feelings known:

Vintage Couch tweet! Bourbon tonight?

— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) January 28, 2020

Ain't the bourbon's fault.

I feel like they write this article every three years. Elvis Grbac was once People's Sexiest Man Alive because someone confused him with Rich Gannon, resulting in a legendary self-negating article ("…his wife Lori, who had the last line: 'His personality makes him sexy.'") and a cottage industry in explaining how this came about. This edition is from the Athletic:

“We were as surprised as anyone else,” Moore said. “But I would suppose the most surprised person was Elvis.”

A red-faced Grbac met with reporters after the magazine hit newsstands and sheepishly said, “There’s guys in that locker room that are 10 times better-looking than I am.” He was, he admitted, “dumbfounded” by the whole thing. He had no idea why or how he’d been picked. When reporters informed Marty Schottenheimer, the Chiefs coach, that his quarterback had been named the sexiest athlete in America, Schottenheimer replied, “Who, Gannon?”

As in Rich Gannon, Grbac’s backup.

I look forward to revisiting this in 2023, the 25-year anniversary of this occurrence.

What on earth. Were people clamoring to hire Bo Pelini?

More specifics on Bo Pelini's deal with #LSU: three-year contract at $2.3M a year, sources tell @SINow.

Should put him inside the top 3 among assistant coach salaries.

Just six years ago, Pelini made $3.075M his final year at Nebraska - as head coach.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 27, 2020

1) Pay the players, 2) pay the players, 3) don't cheap out on assistants if you're Michigan and the players have not yet been paid.

More on Bordeleau and Brisson. The SBN Predators site has an in-depth scout of Thomas Bordeleau:

In the clip below, you may not see electrifying speed but this is a next-level sequence from Bordeleau, #9 in blue. First, although he doesn’t win the draw outright, he forces his opponent to hand over possession through the tie-up. Bordeleau then immediately jumps the zone as the third forward and provides excellent puck support; he makes a quick move that helps the defender commit to a passing lane then dishes a beautiful backhand pass under the latter’s stick to set up a goal.

I noted in the scouting report above how strong Bordeleau can be with the puck. Despite his smaller frame, he can cut through stick obstructions with astonishing ease when he doesn’t have the jump on his stride.

Meanwhile, Brendan Brisson snuck into the tail end of this first round mock ("dominating the USHL with an impressive blend of quickness, puck skills and quick thinking) and this one ("a high end play driver, with sublime vision in the offensive zone, capable of taking the puck to the net himself, or dishing off creatively for a linemate"), both to Boston.

Brisson and Bordeleau both drew mentions at the Hockey News after an NTDP/USHL all-star game the above clip is taken from:

Thomas Bordeleau, C (NHL CS Rank: 26)
… playmaking center might be the best passer in the country and easily one of the best playmakers in the draft, as shown by a few crafty give-and-go plays Monday. A smart two-way center, Bordeleau has improved his strength over the past few years. He doesn’t get knocked around as often as he did back in midget AAA.

Brendan Brisson, C (NHL CS Rank: 31)
…best player at the World Junior A Challenge … Not a big kid at 5-foot-11, Brisson showcased excellent speed and skill with the puck and had a few nice rushes in the first half of Monday’s battle. It would be great if he had a bit more size, but Brisson has raw talent.

Nice to have players who seem to be moving up as their enrollment date approaches. Seems like the opposite has been far more common over the last several years.

Etc.: Football adds Fresno State to the 2024 schedule. Michigan has a game at Texas that year so expect the third game to be another guarantee. IU QB Peyton Ramsey is in the portal since he'd be behind Michael Penix again this year. Isaiah Todd is (probably) Michigan's first McDonald's AA in 18 years. No I'm not just linking this article because he's driving on CHET CHET CHET CHET in the lead image.