Our prediction that DePauw University would lose the Monon Bell game was met with scorn by many on campus.
The DePauw Reporter Jack Woods wrote that Wabash would roll over DePauw, 24-14, in the annual fall football classic, played last Saturday in Blackstock Stadium.
That didn’t happen. In a surprise, DePauw won the game, 17-13.
Why did Woods make that prediction?
Because a sports journalist – like all journalists – gathers available data and heads toward the truth.
Woods examined various data points including points allowed per game, points scored per game, DePauw’s performances at home, Wabash’s performances away and performance against common foes. He said “the downfall to DePauw’s defense is their inability to thwart the passing game consistently.”
In addition, Jack wasn’t the only one who predicted we’d lose. College GameDay recognized the battle ahead of the Tigers, and across the board predicted that DePauw would lose.
In other words, Woods was doing his job.
It is not a journalist’s task to tell people what they want to hear, even in the realm of something as “frivolous” as sports.
In this case, Woods was wrong, and he was the first person to say so – happily.
