Back in August, it was suggested in this column that an unstated goal for the University of Wisconsin's expectation-laden football team should be "putting 82,000 people in the seats for their final home game against Cal Poly."

Furthermore, it was stated that the success or failure of UW's season might well be judged by the turnstile count for Saturday's season-ending non-conference game at Camp Randall Stadium against an unknown opponent from Division I's Football Championship Subdivision.

"Indeed," the column continued, "if the Badgers succeed in getting the red out for that season-ending mismatch against a team from the division formerly known as I-AA, it will mean they've had a very good year. But if Camp Randall ends up looking like some half-filled, Don Morton-era mausoleum for that
Nov. 22 game, then the Badgers will have underachieved for the second consecutive year."

No matter happens in Saturday's game against Cal Poly, we already have our answer to that last one. The challenge of making this a special season was laid out for all to see and the Badgers, with a 6-5 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the Big Ten Conference, failed to meet it.

Expect that opinion to be confirmed by the number of fans who actually show up when the Badgers and Mustangs play Saturday at Camp Randall.

Coach Bret Bielema and other UW officials have tried to downplay the potential for a less-than-full house all week, but Saturday's game isn't exactly a hot ticket. In fact, it's a cold ticket — literally and figuratively. One Madison broker has been selling tickets for $10 a pop all week, and he's having a hard time getting rid of them.

Historically, the final home game has been a tough sell at UW. The weather is often lousy, the Badgers (until recent years) haven't had much to play for and the game frequently falls on the opening day of deer-hunting season in Wisconsin.

All three of those conditions will exist Saturday.

The temperature is expected to be in the mid-30s at game time. Depending on what happens elsewhere in the Big Ten on Saturday, the Badgers might be headed to the Insight Bowl, win or lose. And a portion of the usual crowd will be sitting in tree stands rather than in their $39 seats.

Toss in two more conditions, both unexpected at some point in the last year, and you have the makings for a whole lot of empty seats.

First, the Badgers generated preseason predictions that included a possible run at the Big Ten title, making this season a huge letdown for their fans. Second, many fans still haven't forgiven UW for removing Virginia Tech from the schedule and replacing it with Cal Poly.

UW's streaks — 38 straight sellouts and 101 consecutive games with at least 70,000 fans — probably will remain intact because of a late push that included some buy-one, get-one-free ticket deals. How many fans will actually show up is anyone's guess.

"I have faith in Wisconsin people, and it's going to be another good football game," Bielema said. "I'm not trying to tell you anything. If you just watch Cal Poly on film and you see their record and what they stand for and the quality of players they have, it's going to be a very, very exciting football game and a fun team to watch and a great game-day atmosphere."