DU-LITTLE BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#6100

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1425

peak 1425 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-06-26

latest 2021-04-23

Best ToY finish

#1232

Master 2018

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 15 contests

Avg finish

top 78%

overall standings

Best overall

649.1200 / 720

Master · Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off

Perfect 180s

Current form

629.79 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 621.29 (+8.50)

Walk rate

20%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

172.5600

Chicken · Marietta River City BBQ

Consistency

±18.20

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 159.79 · weakest Brisket (152.25)

Road miles

1,551

mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 413 mi

Schedule strength

46%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)

Purse competed for

$35K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

621.29 / 720

15 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

BIG "E" BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BIG "E" BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.54 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 7%.

Brisket avg 152.25
Chicken avg 159.79
1 calls in 15 entries

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Brass Monkey BBQ in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

1.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at Marietta River City BBQ (2021-04-23).

last seen 2019-06-22
back 2021-04-23

Chicken nemesis

8 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

BIG "E" BBQ ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BIG "E" BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 10 shared chicken entries.

An October team

Top 70% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 70% across 5 contests, versus top 78% the rest of the year.

5 October contests
top 78% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked *Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 21st

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.

36 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

SMOKEY & THE WOOD CHIPS

#6101 of the rated field

1425 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1425

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to DU-LITTLE BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team DU-LITTLE BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2018-10-19

⚔ Head-to-head

Big Blue BBQ

#6105 of the rated field

1425 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1425

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2024-10-30

⚔ Head-to-head

SPECIAL ED'S BBQ

#6099 of the rated field

1426 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1426

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 4 years before DU-LITTLE BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 13 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin' Joe's BBQ

#6103 of the rated field

1425 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1425

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2019-10-11

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Bros BBQ

#6107 of the rated field

1425 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1425

No shared contest yet.

Level with DU-LITTLE BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2017-08-25

⚔ Head-to-head

BUTTHEADS BBQ TEAM

#6106 of the rated field

1425 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1425

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2018-06-01

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ROLL THE BONES BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
BIG "E" BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
D.F.G.'S BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Risky Brisket	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE 2 PULL	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Littles BBQ Co	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
A MOTLEY QUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
QUE U	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
MOOSE'S BARBECUE	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
A BOY NAMED QUE	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Second Hand Smoke SLV	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
HAZY BLUE BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
WICKED SMOKE BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	15	1	1	1	172.5600	147.9316	159.79	top 62%
Pork Ribs	15	1	0	0	166.8800	134.1944	154.65	top 70%
Pork	15	1	0	0	170.2856	132.5028	154.60	top 72%
Brisket	15	1	0	0	165.7028	134.2972	152.25	top 74%

“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	Avg finish
WI	10	top 76%
IL	3	top 87%
OH	2	top 79%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 83%
Medium (20–39)	6	top 89%
Large (40+)	8	top 70%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
*Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	4	21	top 65%	2018-10-19
Grill Games	3	29	top 75%	2018-08-24
Marietta River City BBQ	2	16	top 79%	2021-04-23
Grillin' in Grafton	2	26	top 94%	2017-06-30

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.8 yrs 2015-06-26 → 2021-04-23

Busiest season 2019 3 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in WI 10 of 15 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 15 entries · 1 win · 1 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 159.79 · weakest Brisket (152.25)

Walk rate 20% a top-10 call in 3 of 15 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 15 contests

Master average 621.29 out of 720 · 15 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 258 134–433 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,551 15 mapped stops · furthest 413 mi

Schedule strength 1559 average field rating faced — tougher than 46% of rated contests

Purse competed for $35,100 listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 4 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs 2019-06-22 → 2021-04-23

Power rating 1425 peak 1425 · #6100 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2015
Jun 26 First tracked contest Grillin' in Grafton
Jun 26 Peak power rating (1489) Grillin' in Grafton
2016
Oct 21 First call Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
Oct 21 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.1200 Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
Oct 21 Career-best overall score649.1200 Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
2018
Oct 5 10th tracked contest *Harbor-Que
2019
Apr 26 First category win (Chicken) Marietta River City BBQ
Apr 26 Career-best single call (Chicken)172.5600 Marietta River City BBQ
2021
Apr 23 Most recent contest Marietta River City BBQ

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.2	*Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	2018-10-19
+4.7	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	2016-10-21
+1.1	Marietta River City BBQ	2019-04-26

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.7	Grill Games	2017-08-25
-11	Grillin' in Grafton	2015-06-26
-10.8	Grillin' in Grafton	2017-06-30
-10.2	Marietta River City BBQ	2021-04-23
-8.2	*Harbor-Que	2018-10-05

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0	0%	top 97%	86%	86%
2019	3	1	33%	top 78%	90.1%	87.2%
2018	3	0	0%	top 69%	89.7%	87.1%
2017	3	0	33%	top 93%	85%	83.8%
2016	2	0	50%	top 64%	90.2%	88.4%
2015	3	0	0%	top 77%	88%	85.7%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-04-23	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	28 / 29 (619.4284)	20 (160.5828)	27 (154.2628)	25 (158.2972)	28 (146.2856)
2019-06-22	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 🏅 Belvidere, IL	42 / 45 (605.5316)	42 (151.3828)	39 (156.5372)	45 (147.3484)	41 (150.2632)
2019-06-21	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 🏅 Belvidere, IL	39 / 50 (629.6460)	41 (158.8572)	48 (150.2972)	23 (165.1316)	38 (155.3600)
2019-04-26	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	16 / 26 (648.6172)	1 (172.5600)	19 (159.4628)	25 (150.8916)	7 (165.7028)
2018-10-19	*Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	21 / 42 (645.7372)	19 (162.2744)	17 (161.1772)	16 (166.3200)	30 (155.9656)
2018-10-05	*Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL	25 / 28 (595.8288)	24 (147.9316)	27 (137.6800)	20 (151.9544)	15 (158.2628)
2018-08-24	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	29 / 42 (639.2456)	13 (169.6912)	33 (157.0744)	33 (154.2400)	26 (158.2400)
2017-10-20	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	44 / 52 (611.8056)	43 (153.6572)	46 (150.2172)	45 (151.3828)	35 (156.5484)
2017-08-25	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	38 / 39 (601.6232)	23 (159.9772)	32 (153.1088)	30 (154.2400)	39 (134.2972)
2017-06-30	Grillin' in Grafton Graffton, WI	26 / 27 (597.6576)	22 (153.1088)	9 (157.7488)	27 (132.5028)	17 (154.2972)
2016-10-21	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	23 / 51 (649.1200)	23 (162.8344)	17 (163.4400)	6 (170.2856)	40 (152.5600)
2016-06-17	Hog and Steer Barbecue Competition and Festival Oconomowoc, WI	15 / 18 (623.2912)	16 (158.2400)	15 (154.2400)	15 (151.3940)	13 (159.4172)
2015-10-23	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook off Union Grove, WI	35 / 44 (614.7316)	33 (157.1316)	18 (163.4516)	44 (147.3484)	34 (146.8000)
2015-08-28	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	29 / 49 (633.7716)	19 (163.4516)	15 (166.8800)	22 (160.5600)	44 (142.8800)
2015-06-26	Grillin' in Grafton Grafton, WI	30 / 33 (603.3488)	14 (165.1200)	33 (134.1944)	22 (157.1428)	29 (146.8916)

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
2021 ↗	Master	#1558 (54 pts)	#1212 (79 pts)	#1595 (54 pts)	#1552 (54 pts)	#1546 (54 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1730 (96 pts)	#1007 (276 pts)	#1894 (81 pts)	#2580 (51 pts)	#1384 (156 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1232 (193 pts)	#1084 (268 pts)	#1254 (213 pts)	#1152 (243 pts)	#1220 (223 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1491 (172 pts)	#1432 (197 pts)	#1243 (257 pts)	#1558 (172 pts)	#1370 (212 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1573 (163 pts)	#1680 (158 pts)	#1483 (193 pts)	#1231 (268 pts)	#1629 (163 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1417 (178 pts)	#1171 (263 pts)	#1184 (263 pts)	#1417 (208 pts)	#1466 (178 pts)