Ranking the Field is my top 12 ranking of the best prospects in Season 8 of "American Idol," and it will be updated every week. If you disagree with my ranking, by all means use the comments area to share your own.

The rankings are based on: judges' assessment of talent; my assessment of talent; potential revealed in Youtube clips; and Web buzz as perceived by me (this is in large part a popularity contest).

Changes this week were mostly confined to the bottom half of the rankings. Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta joined Adam Lambert on the favorites list, but with so little screen time given to them earlier, it will be an uphill climb for them.

With four men and only two women sent to the Top 12 so far, I'm really looking for the girls to make a serious rally on Tuesday. And with Lil Rounds, Arianna Afsar and Felicia Barton, they've got a great shot at nabbing two of the three spots this week.

Ranking the Field

1. (Last week: 1) Danny Gokey (Milwaukee, Wis.) — Voters sent him into the Top 12 after his fine performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero." After Group 2, he's still the one to beat. (Videos)

2. (2) Lil Rounds (Memphis, Tenn.) — We'll finally get to see Lil when Group 3 sings on Tuesday night. Expectations are high. (Videos)

3. (3) Alexis Grace (Memphis, Tenn.) — The 5-foot-tall pixie came out of nowhere to earn a spot in the Top 12 after Group 1 voting. Will she be able to live up to that once Top 12 competition begins? See video clips.

4. (4) Arianna Afsar (San Diego) — She's set to take the stage again as part of Group 3. She's cute as a button and skilled at these kind of competitions. The question is whether she'll be seen as unique. See video clips.

5. (6) Adam Lambert (Hollywood, Calif.) — The judges gushed about his vocal gymnastics on "Satisfaction" on Tuesday. Me? Not so much. See video clips.

6. (NR) Allison Iraheta (Los Angeles) — I thought she did great Tuesday, but I wonder how much of her buzz was because everybody else was terrible. See video clips.

7. (NR) Kris Allen (Little Rock, Ark.) — Not too many people can sing a Michael Jackson song and win raves for it. His "Man in the Mirror" Tuesday hints at some great potential. And the chicks dig him, which is nice. See video clips.

8. (8) Michael Sarver (Jasper, Texas) — He's through to the Top 12 after America decides it likes this burly but lovable working man. While I think he's a fun entertainer and a nice guy, I still can't see him making it deep into the competition See video clips.

9. (9) Anoop Desai (Chapel Hill, N.C.) — But you can bet "Noop Dog" will be back for the wild-card round on Thursday -- and he will be a favorite to advance from that group. See video clips.

10. (10) Scott MacIntyre (Scottsdale, Ariz.) — Some of the buzz has faded a bit after the Hollywood round. He'll get a chance to redeem himself on Tuesday. See video clips.

11. (11) Megan Corkrey (Sandy, Utah) — Yes, she got booted on Tuesday night. But I have to think she's got a good shot at returning for the wild car because the judges like her a lot. See video clips.

12. (12) Felicia Barton (Virginia Beach, Va.) — She's the one who made it into the Top 36 when Joanna Pacitti was ruled ineligible. Will she make an impression Tuesday night? Hey, Iraheta and Allen got through without much previous screen time, so why not Barton?See video clips.

Best of the rest: Matt Giraud, Jesse Langseth, Mishavonna Henson, Ann Marie Boskovich, Ricky Braddy, Ju'Not Joyner, Jorge Nuñez and Von Smith.