‘Dancing with the Stars’ rankings: Do Emmitt Smith, Shawn Johnson have edge?

Both we and many “Dancing with the Stars” fans likely did not see Gilles Marini’s exit coming this past week, even though we did at least say that he would be vulnerable if he did not pull off a perfect score. While Kirstie Alley’s exit was more of a given, the departure of the “Switched at Birth” star really shakes up what could happen here on out. There are two men left in the competition, but they are up against three ladies who all could either have the talent or the fans to take home the Mirrorball Trophy themselves.

We’re going to do our best to rank the contestants by a combination here, as always, of judges’ scores, personality, and the past voting history on the show. Of course, this is troublesome when there is only one contestant left who has been in any danger all season long.

5. Apolo Anton Ohno (last week: 6) – With the aforementioned statement in mind, Apolo is in some big trouble this week. He is a great dancer, but there has been one things at times missing this season that was there when he first stepped out with Julianne Hough: fun! He needs to rediscover this spirit a little bit, and prove to everyone watching at home that he is looking for more from this competition that just winning. It’s also about the journey, and he and Karina Smirnoff have had a relationship that is at best hot and cold.

4. Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy (5) – We’ll start with the positives for Kelly: she has a devoted following in soap opera fans, and also has shown already that she has a pretty substantial legion of fans behind her. At this point, the biggest concern for Kelly is this: her performance have been the weakest at times of the top four listed here, and she also has the most on her plate. How is she going to handle tackling multiple dances when she does have other duties? That is, as always, the real question.

3. Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani (3) – The first season on the show, Melissa made it to the final three with only three days of rehearsal before the premiere. We were always curious to see just what would happen if she was given a little bit more time, and this is what we are seeing from her here.Not only has she improved greatly this season, but the “Bachelor” star has proven she can also entertain. Consider this a sleeper pick: the fan following is not necessarily there like it may be for the top two, but they are loyal.

2. Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke (2) – Does anyone else think that the final two at this point is almost a lock? What an epic battle this will be: the biggest fanbase (arguably ever) against one of the most energetic performers ever. No one questions that Emmitt is popular, but he actually gave his best dance in two seasons Monday night, which is essential for him here on out in trying to secure those independent voters (yes, we’re thinking like election season) needed for him to win.

1. Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough (1) – While Emmitt is gaining (and could gain even more with Gilles’ exit), we’re staying with our gut and the scoreboard at the moment. What Shawn has going for her is simple: physically, she’s capable of doing things that some of the other dancers cannot do, and she and Derek are the sort of rebels that tick off the judges and make America cheer for them. As long as they don’t pull any crazy stunts in the finale and focus on the scores win it matters, the one-time Olympic champ should also be the first person with two Mirrorball Trophies to her name.

Who’s your current “Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars” pick?