Who Are the American Idol Final 12

Who are the American Idol final 12 contestants? Four more got the boot on the Thursday American Idol results show. Now there are just 12 final contestants left on American Idol.
Here is who those final 12 contestants are and who I predict will take the title at the end. Let's start with the head of the pack and work our way down. Here are the six contestants remaining who I think have a solid chance to compete for the American Idol title. I have listed them in order of who is the hottest at the moment in my opinion.
"Big Mike" is the new favorite after a sizzling performance this week. But on American Idol a week can change things drastically.

Michael Lynche
He's known as "Big Mike". Michael Lynche is the contestant who missed the birth of his kid to perform at auditions. It turns out it might have been a good gamble-if you can call missing a child's birth that. Michael Lynche positioned himself well with a great performance this week. His version of "This Woman's Work" brought Kara to tears. Big Mike just might be the front runner on American Idol. He was a lock for the Top 12 and he'll be a lock for the Top 5. If he plays his cards right from this point on, "Big Mike" have a "Big Record Deal".

Crystal Bowersox
Crystal Bowersox had to leave the show a week ago because of a diabetes problem. Bowersox is the girl who can play the guitar and harmonica at the same time. If reverse psychology works, then Crystal may just win American Idol. She confessed American Idol wasn't her type of show--but she's been drawing rave reviews ever since. She may not be mainstream enough to take the checkered flag--but America has surprised us before. My best guess is she'll get close but no cigar. She was easily an American idol Top 12 selection and I predict she'll be Top 5 unless she bombs two shows in a row.

Siobhan Magnus
Siobhan was applauded for hitting high notes. She's the same girl who is also called "different" by the judges. Siobhan not only has a unique name--she is the most unique contestant on the show this year. Siobhan can obviously sing. Will America fall in love with her enough to keep her around? She obviously has the talent to be a top three performer. Siobhan is an American Idol Top 12 necessity thanks to her charm and enthusiasm. Will that carry her even further? I really think she's Top 5 material.

Lee DeWyze
Okay, the judges love Lee. Lee keeps getting rave reviews even when he is "pitchy". Simon has already said he has the best voice of all the males. That doesn't make much sense after we saw what Michael Lynche could do. Lee might be mainstream enough to win even if he is a little pitchy at times. Is he the best live performer of the group? I don't think so--but it's not up to me. Lee could be there at the end if the judges have anything to do with it.

Casey James
Kara loves Casey without his shirt off. She said Casey James was not just "eye candy" but "ear candy". All of the judges seem to love it when Casey sits down and plays guitar. His rendition of "Heaven" put him in the pole position. He has since lost a little stock but Kara recently announced she's almost back on the Casey train after his Keith Urban performance of "You'll Think Of Me." You get this feeling Casey will have the popular vote and will do much much better than being just a Final 12 contestant on American Idol.

Didi Benami
Didi is one of the more likable contestants on American Idol. The girl can flat out sing, too. Didi is probably really popular with the young girls watching the show and voting over and over again. Didi has the pipes to be a final five if she chooses the right songs. It will be interesting to see how she deals with the songs she is forced to sing in the next few weeks and if she can adapt. Didi might just be a sleeper to win the whole darn thing. Like Casey, she's much better than just a Top 12 contestant on American Idol.

The best of the rest? Andrew Garcia, Aaron Kelly, Katie Stevens, Lacey Brown, Paige Miles and Tim Urban. I don't think any of these contestants will be able to win American Idol. My predictions say this remainder of the American Idol final 12 should be eliminated in the next show or two. I can't imagine any of these contestants winning the title--but American Idol can surprise you. The eliminations on the Thursday Results show this week were shocking. I think only Andrew Garcia and Paige Miles have shown signs they could bust out of this pack-but it doesn't seem likely at this point in the game. Urban, Brown and Stevens should get their pink slips in the next week or two. These three have already overachieved in my opinion.