Sometime around 10 Wednesday onight (it will be on tape) PDT, Ryan Seacrest will say: “Dim the lights…”

Seacrest will stare at 17-year-old Scotty McCreery from Garner, N.C. and 16-year-old Lauren Alaina from Rossville, Ga. and then moments later he will announce to the world which one is the 10th American Idol.

After Scotty and Lauren sang three songs apiece Tuesday night, the world voted via phone, text, internet, carrier pigeon, whatever, and television’s highest rated show had a winner.

All of this is the culmination of a process that started with initial tryouts last July and ended with the show’s most youthful finale ever and the first time two finalists of the same genre (country) were to stand there with Seacrest awaiting the inevitable confetti drop on the winner.

Of course, much of Idol is about selling: selling itself, selling the judges, selling records, selling guests. Tonight will be no different.

The lineup includes:

Lady Gaga, who will sing “Edge of Glory” from her new album (hint, hint, Lady G is saying buy it please Little Monsters)…

Judge Steven Tyler (add the ages of the two finalists, double that and you are close to Tyler’s age) is reportedly going to sing, sans Aerosmith, “Dream On.”

Bono and the Edge will make an appearance.

Jack Black will perform with Top 11 contestant Casey Abrams.

Season 7 winner David Cook will perform “Don’t You (Forget About me).” That’s the song that each eliminated contestant heard the past 10 weeks or so.

And Season 8 runnerup Adam Lambert will be there, but Season 9 winner Lee DeWyze wasn’t invited. Hummm???

So, who wins tonight?

Scotty has been more consistent, has never been in the bottom 2 or 3, reportedly has been on top of the voting since we got to a Top 12 and has a strong constituency among tweens and older female voters.

Lauren has slipped up on a couple of songs, landed in the Bottom 3 only three weeks ago and at times has seemed more than a little unsure of herself.

Go with Scotty.

And here’s another reason: the winner has always been whoever in the Final 2 has the first name that comes later in the alphabet. True, you can look it up.

And one final thought as you get ready for your Idol finale party – turn off your computer and watch nothing on TV, don’t even answer the phone. Remember you will be watching a taped show. The winner will really be announced about 7 p.m. PDT.