It will be David vs. David on next week's "American Idol" finale on FOX as Murray High School junior David Archuleta and 25-year-old David Cook of Blue Springs, Mo., face off.

It's no surprise Archuleta and Cook have made it this far -- both have been favorites nearly from the beginning. Through the show's 13 weeks of voting, neither one was ever among the bottom two or three vote-getters. Both appear to have strong fan bases and consistently receive high praise from the show's judges.

Cook, however, may have the advantage going into the final round. Typically hard-to-please judge Simon Cowell told Cook he gave the best performances of the night on Tuesday while offering only lukewarm praise for Archuleta's performances. Of course, the winner is chosen by a popular vote among the show's viewers, who may or may not be swayed by the judges comments.

The week was extra busy for Archuleta, not only because he and the other contestants had to prepare three songs, whereas in previous weeks they prepared two or only one. This week, Archuleta's father was banned from rehearsals after he advised Archuleta to change the lyrics to Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." Archuleta included a verse from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls," and producers had to pay for rights to both songs.

Dean Kaelin, Archuleta's vocal coach in Holladay, told the Salt Lake Tribune that the ban was not because Archuleta's father was overbearing, but to be fair to other contestants, who aren't allowed the help of a mentor while rehearsing. Archuleta's father had previously been allowed to be with him because he is a minor, the only one still on the show. Archuleta also defended his father in an interview with TV Guide this week.

Archuleta and Cook will give their final "Idol" performances Tuesday at 7 p.m. on FOX. Watch for a special preview article about the finale and a recap of Archuleta's performances this season in Sunday's Life & Style section.