Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at what has gone wrong and wonders if the season can end with a victory over Wellington tonight.
Ten years ago, almost to the day, Wellington came to Carisbrook with some big names and was walloped by 80 points.
Tonight, Wellington again comes calling but the chance of a similar scoreline is remote - not in Otago's favour, anyway.
And even if Otago does win tonight, it will still be a disappointing season, with the chance of a quarterfinal berth relying on Manawatu beating Tasman, and Northland beating Auckland in a low-scoring match.
Otago could finish as low as 12th if it loses and North Harbour easily beats Counties-Manukau.
So, near the back of the field it could be - hardly fit for a union which is a Super 14 base.
But who is at fault for that dismal position on the table?Is it the board, or perhaps the coach and his assistants? There is a certain degree of truth in that.
But really, doesn't the main responsibility for Otago's awful season rest with the men in the middle? The players.
They have been the ones who have dropped the ball too many times, missed tackles, thrown poor passes, and lacked aggression.
Coach Steve Martin might not have had much hair at the start of the season but he will have even less by the end of tonight, having pulled it out through frustration over the past 10 weeks.
A rugby team is made up of 15 players but, in reality, those in key positions such as halfback, openside flanker and hooker need to perform every week for the side to be any good.
Unfortunately for Otago, the players wearing the blue and gold jersey in these positions have been very average all year.
Hooker Jason Macdonald is one of the most experienced players in the Otago team but he has struggled to find any form.
Two years ago, Macdonald was all over the park and was hard to stop ball in hand, but he is a shadow of that player these days.
Maybe an Achilles injury which knocked out his season last year has affected him more than he, and the coaching staff, thought.
In a couple of games he has been replaced by a far more energetic Peter Mirrielees.
Halfback Toby Morland has never looked assured behind his pack, and failed to dominate any game.
His passing also went badly amiss at times and he makes the easy things look hard.
Both Morland and Macdonald are not starting tonight.
Captain Craig Newby stood in at openside but it was not a good fit.
Newby is no longer the quick terrier he once was and, in a couple of games, that was all too obvious.
The 29-year-old is off at the end of the season to bank some British pounds, with many saying he had a foot on the plane already at the start of the season.
He denies it, and that might be true, but perhaps it was one campaign too far for the brutally honest Newby.
He is not a game-breaker.
With no-one else doing anything, Newby was just another player.
All Black Adam Thomson is back in Otago colours tonight at openside flanker, and his return will be greatly appreciated.
Further out, the backs have never looked fluid and have been hit by injury in the past couple of weeks.
Winger Karne Hesketh has had plenty of energy and scored five tries, which shows he knows the way to the line.
But the backline has suffered from robust defences, and too much slow ball.
It has not made the advantage line often enough.
It will not be easy for the backs tonight, with an inexperienced unit facing a Wellington side, admittedly missing some key offensive weapons, which is going to attack.
Centre Brett Mather withdrew from the side yesterday due to a nagging ankle problem.
Andrew Parata moves in from the left wing, with Alipate Fatafehi taking his place.
Randell Kamea moves on to the bench.
If anything Wellington has in spades what Otago is lacking: energy, precision, a real desire.
It is a question which has been puzzling all season - why does Otago always warm up before the game at such pace, yet when it hits the paddock, it loses 2m of speed ? Does that comes down to the coach?
Maybe Martin is not the right sort of coach for this group of players.
Martin is a positive sort of guy, but is that what these players need? Perhaps they need to be given a rocket, bullied into playing well.
Martin has been doing it tough lately and was a forlorn figure after last week's loss to Waikato.
Losing builds character.
Martin must be a well-rounded character after this season.
Wellington should really win easily tonight.
Nothing gives a team more advantage than momentum.
The visitors are sprinting towards the finish line while Otago is a machine in much need of repair.
But the Highlanders ended their season with a smile by beating the Crusaders at Christchurch, so perhaps Otago can do the same.
Nothing would give Otago supporters more pleasure in a season where smiles have been few and far between.
