I'll take dumb journalism mistakes for $100, Alex

Hi all,

So I write this column about Northwestern running back Jacob Schmidt in Saturday's Daily Herald. Among the facts I include in the piece? Schmidt is one of just three Caucasian tailbacks on scholarship in the Big Ten.

It's an interesting fact...but it's an incorrect fact. This is what happens when you count on your brain to carry you through.

To determine the members of Schmidt's exclusive club, I scoured the roster of every Big Ten team and made a list of every white running back (walk-on and scholarship). Alas, I decided not to check Northwestern's roster because I know its depth chart pretty much by heart.

Since I already knew NU's scholarship running backs are Stephen Simmons, Arby Fields, Jeravin Matthews, Alex Daniel, Mike Trumpy, Scott Concannon and Schmidt -- I assumed I would remember to add their white running backs to my final list.

Of course, because I suffered a brain cramp and didn't go back to triple-check my work I forgot to include Daniel and Trumpy and Concannon in the paper. So my apologies to them, their families and to the readers who think there are three such running backs in the Big Ten when there are six such creatures.

Still only one Hodag, though.

ONE OTHER THING LIVE FROM RYAN FIELD
Senior cornerback Sherrick McManis and junior MLB Nate Williams are dressed and going through warmups. So is RB Jeravin Matthews.

LW