Well, our final auditions show of the season is over. It's on to Hollywood, and before you know it, we'll have our Top 24.

But, who's in? Who's out?

The latter might be easier to figure out than the former.

According to BuddyTV.com, Arkansas native Sean Michel has been booted for refusing to cut his Fidel Castro-like beard and mountain-man hair. It would be the first known cut made in the show's history solely on something image-related, and in Michel's case, it would be a shame because he seemed to be a very soft soul with a unique sound.

However, in the end, his dismissal would not be a huge loss because he probably wouldn't have made the cut, anyway.

Dallas native Akron Watson has been dismissed after producers learned he had been arrested four years ago on a misdemeanor pot possession.

Like Michel, Watson likely would not have made the Top 24 anyway. Purely speculative, but while Michel was like one of those NCAA Tournament bubble teams whose future was questionable, Watson was like a good school from a small conference that needs to win its conference tourney to have any hope of making the big dance.

My apologies for the Idol-sports mixture. However, it seemed appropriate given that I just watched my alma mater, Oklahoma, beat Oklahoma State 67-60 in Norman tonight. Yea, Sooners.

The surprise dismissal -- and it should be said that only Watson's dismissal is known at this juncture -- comes in the form of Nina Simone wannabe Ashlyn Carr. Producers learned that she had been arrested on charges of putting sugar in the gas tank of a former boyfriend sometime back.

Now, I think, Carr had the potential to be one of our Top 24 this season. She's a looker. She can sing, and frankly I think the sugar-in-the-gas-tank incident is innocuous enough within the realm of Idol controversies to actually work to her benefit, making her seem a bit more real, more feisty.

Next week's Hollywood rounds should bear out the collective fates of all three, although word is that Watson's dismissal won't even be mentioned. So, if you don't see him, you'll know why.

However, do we already know who's in the Top 24? If Wednesday night's auditions were any indication, then an Aretha Franklinesque singer named Lakisha Jones is likely to be a sure thing. However, my money says we'll know her only by Lakisha by the time she makes the Top 24.

For me, petty cab driver Tami Gosnell was the class of the bunch though, singing The Allman Brothers classic "Whipping Post." Although she looked a bit like she needed a bath, she also had this faint look of Carly Simon about her ... and, her voice was terrific.

However, her Top 24 future is a mid-range jumper off the iron, in my estimation. Depending on the bounce, she might make it.

There I go with the mixed metaphors again.

While next week's Hollywood round promises to be gut-wrenching like usual, I think the following male performers have sealed up Top 24 spots: Sundance Head, Chris Sligh, Brandon Rogers, Jimmy McNeal, Sunjaya Malakar, Blake Lewis, Matthew Buckstein, Rudy Cardenas, Matt Sato, Paul Kim, Chris Richardson and Mike Preston.

There are a couple Norman guys, including Tony Foster, who we haven't seen yet. Heck, we haven't seen Mike Preston yet; however, everything I've heard indicates he's in. Just a guess on my part. Nevertheless, at least one of the Top 24 will be representin' Norman, Oklahoma, USA. Yea, Sooners.

It's easy to pick which guys will make it to the Top 24 this year. I'm willing to bet I have at least eight of the 12 right. The women on the other hand, man, I'm just not sure.

Jordin Sparks is a sure thing. Baylie Brown is 100 percent a sure thing. Denise Jackson's backstory is too, too good. Lakisha's talent is too strong. Melinda Doolittle is too unique not to be in the Top 24. Perla Meneses is unique, gorgeous and talented enough to be among the last two dozen, and Porcelana Patino and Tami Gosnell are a couple of wildcards.

As I noted before, Gosnell looked like a flea-dip was in order, but she seemed to have a great spirit and a terrific talent. And, Patino is a woman after my own heart, going through the Rocky routine to get into shape for the audition, as if it were really required. Nevertheless, I admire the hell out of that.

Word in the blogosphere is that Gina Glockson gets the Top 24 call. In tonight's Best of the Rest episode, she's the one who basically proclaimed her love for Simon. Most of you will remember her as the rocker from Season 5 who plays for a band called Catfight.

Love that band name, but I'm not loving my odds of precision on the women. If I'm right on half of them, I'll feel accomplished. But, take Lakisha, Baylie, Jordan and probably Melinda to the bank.

If I had to handicap this bugger right at this second, I'd lay my money on Chris Sligh and Brandon Rogers in the finale. It's early, I know. However, Sligh's uniqueness is going to serve him very, very well in this competition, and Rogers' experience (Anastacia) and tone make for a very interesting Clay-Ruben type of matchup.

Sorry, Chris, for the comparison to Clay. Won't happen again.

Feel free to post a comment if you have thoughts on a possible Top 24.