Yep, it looks like smut. We have had a lot of rain for this time of year. I took the whole plant out and put it in the garbage. Now I have some critter eating my corn.
Saturday night something ripped an ear off and ate it in the yard, leaving the ear to taunt me. Today it took two more. One it broke off and the other it ate the kernels right off the stalk! Would a squirrel do that? Maybe a raccon? Guess I'll have to put a fence up around the corn now.