We're midway through the current season of one of America's top TV shows, and the cute, diminutive young man from Utah only has seven more rivals to outwit, outplay and outlast before he claims the big prize.

Oh ... um ... wait. That was last fall, when Utahn Todd Herzog won a million bucks on "Survivor." Now, Utahn David Archuleta is trying to outsing and outlast the competition on "American Idol."

"Idol" is a much different game than "Survivor," so Archuleta can't do what Herzog did. He can't lie, backstab and maneuver his way to victory. Well, not on camera, anyway.

But he does have to charm his way to victory, as Herzog did on "Survivor." "Idol" has never been about who's the most talented. It's about who's the most popular. Who can make the most viewers vote for him/her.

And just as Herzog had to make sure he played the game (and it was a game) on "Survivor," maybe that perpetually nice, humble Archuleta could outwit and outplay his competition. Let's look at the other seven competitors:

• Brooke White will probably take care of herself. She seems like a lovely person, but based both on what the judges say and the fact that she ended up in the bottom three last week, it would be more than a bit surprising if she lasts much longer.

And do you think her continued presence is splitting the Mormon vote? Her exit could only help Archuleta.

• Kristy Lee Cook was, perhaps, the odds-on favorite to go home last week but staved off elimination with a rousing rendition of "God Bless the U.S.A." But patriotism can't save her every week.

Still, maybe Archuleta could sing something patriotic to sew up that vote, too.

• Jason Castro provides proof that you don't have to be supremely talented to make the Elite Eight on "American Idol." He's cute, has beautiful eyes and distinctive dreadlocks, but when it comes to singing, he only has a pair of deuces in this high-stakes game.

Once he's gone, the cutest-boy voting bloc will no longer be split. His exit could only help Archuleta.

• Syesha Mercado looked like the "American Idol" equivalent of the "Survivor" contestant who's seen all the mistakes made in past season — being overly obnoxious, trying to take control too early, etc. Her mistake was trying to make like Whitney Houston by singing "I Will Always Love You" last week.

And this from someone who had barely avoided elimination on more than one occasion.

Gee, maybe song choice really is important.