The heartbreaker
1.7372
points from the title
Came within 1.7372 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) (2026-07-18).
Rowdy Pig
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1572
peak 1583 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
9
in the data
First seen
2025-07-26
latest 2026-08-15
Best ToY finish
#116
Master 2026
Grand champs
1
2 reserve
Category wins
3
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
6
of 9 contests
Avg finish
top 35%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
699.02 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 696.24 (+2.77)
Walk rate
78%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±8.33
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 176.69 · weakest Pork Ribs (172.04)
Road miles
1,295
mi across 9 mapped stops · furthest 284 mi
Schedule strength
80%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1603)
Purse competed for
$64K
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
696.24 / 720
9 Master contests · 1 GC
Storylines (17 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
Perfect scores on the board
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Brisket ×2
- Pork ×1
Against the odds
10-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 90 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) (2026-07-17) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 10-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, TRIPLE H BBQ.
On the rise
+56
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 56 points across 7 contests since 2025-08-16 — from 1516 up to 1572.
- 7 contests since 2025-08-16
- now 1572
Giant slayer
32
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 32-team field at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1).
- 2026-07-17
Happy hunting ground
1×
Grand Championships here
Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 1st
- average top 5%
They almost always walk
78%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 7 of 9 contests
A top-10 category call in 78% of their 9 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
707.3944
career-best overall
98.2% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 707.3944 at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) — 98.2% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2026-07-18
State champions
1
state championships won
They've taken 1 state championship from 8 entries at contests carrying the title.
- 8 state-championship entries
A tough matchup
4–0
behind in the head-to-head
All Smoked Up BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
All Smoked Up BBQ has come out ahead in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
The weak link
−4.6
points behind their best meat
Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.64 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 33% of the time against 78%.
- Pork Ribs avg 172.04
- Brisket avg 176.69
- 3 calls in 9 entries
A strong matchup
5–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Wicked Pig BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
Brisket nemesis
4 of 6
shared brisket entries lost
JANKY LEG BBQ ahead 67% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, JANKY LEG BBQ has out-cooked them in 4 of 6 shared brisket entries.
Announced themselves early
2nd
at their very first contest
Finished 2 of 32 at their very first tracked contest, Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main (2025-07-26).
- 2025-07-26
- 32-team field
They cook the hard rooms
1603
average field rating faced
A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields
The fields they enter average a 1603 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.
- 8 rated contests
A July team
Top 5%
average finish in July
Something about July: average finish in the top 5% across 3 contests, versus top 35% the rest of the year.
- 3 July contests
- top 35% the rest of the year
The metronome
±1.16%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.16% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 96.7% of a perfect score
- 9 contests
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
37 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1377 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1572
2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to Rowdy Pig)
These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#1374 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1572
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Rowdy Pig)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1381 of the rated field
- Contests
- 111
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1637
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Rowdy Pig)
111 contests to 9: their number has had years to settle where Rowdy Pig's is still finding its level.
⚔ Head-to-head#1379 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 78%
- Peak
- 1573
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Rowdy Pig's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1368 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1572
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 14 contests, alongside a 50% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1382 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1575
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2016, 9 years before Rowdy Pig's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two Pigs And A Smoker | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| 1Bite Stand | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Take It Easy BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| OnlyCans Competition BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HORMONAL ESCAPE COMPETITION BBQ | 6 | 1 | 3 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Wicked Pig BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Mulkey's BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoked By The Brooks | 5 | 3 | 1 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Reds Backyard BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Eleven Thirteen Q | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 178.8572 | 168.5256 | 173.82 | top 45% |
| Pork Ribs | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 168.5372 | 172.04 | top 53% |
| Pork | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 165.6800 | 173.70 | top 41% |
| Brisket | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 180.0000 🔥 | 170.8228 | 176.69 | top 20% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 4 | 0 | top 42% |
| MO | 3 | 1 | top 13% |
| KS | 1 | 0 | top 19% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 88% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 7 | 1 | top 30% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 54% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2) | 3 | 6 | 0 | top 54% | 2026-08-15 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 5% | 2026-07-18 |
The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
1.1 yrs
2025-07-26 → 2026-08-15
Busiest season
2026
7 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
4.5
across 2 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IL
4 of 9 contests · 4 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
6
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
9 entries · 1 win · 2 calls
Strongest meat
Brisket
averages 176.69 · weakest Pork Ribs (172.04)
Walk rate
78%
a top-10 call in 7 of 9 contests
Overall top-10 rate
67%
6 of 9 contests
Wins it all
11%
1 Grand Championship · 2 reserve
First title
2026-07-17
Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1)
Best top-10 run
4
straight contests
Master average
696.24
out of 720 · 9 contests · 1 GC
Perfect 180s
3
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
296
287–233 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
1,295
9 mapped stops · furthest 284 mi
Schedule strength
1603
average field rating faced — tougher than 80% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$64,400
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1
from 8 state-championship entries
Power rating
1572
peak 1583 · #1375 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2025
- First tracked contest Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First call Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First overall top-10 Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First overall podium Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First Reserve Championship Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score700.5144 Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- 2026
- First category win (Brisket) Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- First Grand Championship Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1)
- First state championship Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1)
- Biggest field won (32 teams) Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1)
- Career-best overall score707.3944 Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2)
- Peak power rating (1583) Smoke N for the Kids (Day 1)
- Most recent contest Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.6 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) | 2026-07-17 |
| +18 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 2025-07-26 |
| +16.9 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | 2026-07-18 |
| +11.1 | Smoke on the Bricks | 2026-08-07 |
| +10.8 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 1) | 2026-08-14 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.7 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2) | 2026-08-15 |
| -2 | Smoke N for the Kids | 2025-08-16 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 71% | top 36% | 98.2% | 96.7% |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 31% | 97.3% | 96.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-15 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2) 🏅 Troy, IL | 26 / 32 (685.5884) | 14 (175.4056) | 28 (169.6800) | 26 (169.6800) | 19 (170.8228) |
| 2026-08-14 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 1) 🏅 Troy, IL | 6 / 26 (695.3484) | 16 (170.8112) | 10 (172.5600) | 8 (175.4172) | 4 (176.5600) |
| 2026-08-07 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 10 / 52 (699.3600) | 15 (173.1200) | 33 (168.5372) | 1 (180.0000) | 7 (177.7028) |
| 2026-07-18 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 2 / 32 (707.3944) | 7 (176.5600) | 5 (177.7144) | 4 (177.7028) | 10 (175.4172) |
| 2026-07-17 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 1 / 32 (707.3944) | 1 (178.8572) | 14 (173.1200) | 4 (175.4172) | 2 (180.0000) |
| 2026-05-24 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 72 / 82 (681.5884) | 69 (168.5256) | 66 (169.6800) | 75 (165.6800) | 11 (177.7028) |
| 2026-03-27 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 8 / 26 (697.0628) | 11 (174.2628) | 18 (169.6800) | 15 (173.1200) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2025-08-16 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 18 / 32 (691.9316) | 18 (174.8572) | 23 (169.6916) | 23 (169.6800) | 4 (177.7028) |
| 2025-07-26 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL | 2 / 32 (700.5144) | 20 (171.9772) | 2 (177.7144) | 4 (176.5600) | 9 (174.2628) |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #116 (1103 pts) | #173 (943 pts) | #291 (683 pts) | #116 (1063 pts) | #80 (1248 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1033 (92 pts) | #1097 (92 pts) | #1270 (67 pts) | #1163 (67 pts) | #712 (207 pts) |