you might be getting a bit of an optical illusion. i have similar pictures in reverse where the rack looked huge as the buck was approaching the camera. that being said i do think that is one massive buck just looking at the general configuration of the body and the rack is a dandy i am sure.
I think you're right. When I look at the rack by itself, I see nice beam length, decent tines and good mass. It's only an 8-point, but that's no big deal. In some peoples eyes, a massive 8-pointer is more impressive than an average 10.