T & J Backyard BBQ

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

Power ranking

#2667

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1514

peak 1514 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-06-21

latest 2020-02-21

Best ToY finish

#803

Master 2020

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 8 contests

Avg finish

top 52%

overall standings

Best overall

665.6572 / 720

Master · The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial

Perfect 180s

Current form

647.07 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 645.91 (+1.16)

Walk rate

38%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

172.0000

Pork · The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series)

Consistency

±11.31

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.92 · weakest Pork Ribs (158.42)

Road miles

562

mi across 8 mapped stops · furthest 146 mi

Schedule strength

36%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Purse competed for

$11K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

645.91 / 720

8 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.

High-water mark

665.6572 career-best overall

92.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 665.6572 at The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial — 92.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2020-02-21

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

Burnin and Lootin ahead in 100% of their meetings

Burnin and Lootin has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.5 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.50 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 25%.

Pork Ribs avg 158.42
Chicken avg 166.92
0 calls in 8 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of COOL GRILLING in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

5.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.7 years, then back at The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial (2020-02-21).

last seen 2014-06-20
back 2020-02-21

Chicken nemesis

7 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

Burnin and Lootin ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Burnin and Lootin has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±1.57% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.57% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.7% of a perfect score
8 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.

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

KPG SMOKIN'

#2656 of the rated field

1514 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1515

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2026-05-08

⚔ Head-to-head

NELSON FAMILY BARBEQUE

#2678 of the rated field

1514 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1519

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 8 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2019-06-07

⚔ Head-to-head

S.W.A.T. BBQ

#2675 of the rated field

1514 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1520

No shared contest yet.

Level with T & J Backyard BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2018-01-13

⚔ Head-to-head

BOB & ED EAT SMOKE BBQ

#2663 of the rated field

1514 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1522

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 4 years before T & J Backyard BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 8 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

NO LABEL BBQ

#2655 of the rated field

1514 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1522

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2023-01-27

⚔ Head-to-head

THE NOTORIOUS P.I.G. (AKA PIGGY SMALLZ BBQ)

#2676 of the rated field

1514 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1521

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2019-07-12

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Burnin and Lootin	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
All Sauced Up	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
ROYAL SMOKIN' HOT	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
Rooftop BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
LEFT COAST Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
PORKETEERS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
KNOCK UR SOX OFF BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN MO'S BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
VICIOUS SMOKE	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
HOG HEAVEN BARBECUE COMPANY	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	2	0	171.4056	161.1200	166.92	top 33%
Pork Ribs	8	0	0	162.8570	151.4516	158.42	top 61%
Pork	8	1	1	172.0000	146.2056	161.14	top 50%
Brisket	8	0	0	166.2740	149.1428	159.42	top 50%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	1	0	top 80%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 47%

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

On the trail 6.7 yrs 2013-06-21 → 2020-02-21

Busiest season 2013 4 contests

Contests a season 2.7 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CA 8 of 8 contests

Contests visited 8 0 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 8 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 166.92 · weakest Pork Ribs (158.42)

Walk rate 38% a top-10 call in 3 of 8 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 8 contests

Master average 645.91 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 249 239–212 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 562 8 mapped stops · furthest 146 mi

Schedule strength 1548 average field rating faced — tougher than 36% of rated contests

Purse competed for $10,600 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 5.7 yrs 2014-06-20 → 2020-02-21

Power rating 1514 peak 1514 · #2667 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jun 21 First tracked contest 2nd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship
Aug 2 First call 5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic
Oct 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.1312 Dana Point State BBQ Championship
2014
Feb 21 Career-best single call (Pork)172.0000 The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series)
2020
Feb 21 Career-best overall score665.6572 The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial
Feb 21 Peak power rating (1514) The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial
Feb 21 Most recent contest The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.3	The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial	2020-02-21
+7.2	Dana Point State BBQ Championship	2013-10-04
+5	The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series)	2014-02-21
+1.4	3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship	2014-06-20
+0.7	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship	2014-05-16

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.8	4th Annual Wild Wild West BBQ Championship (Day 2)	2013-12-28
-1.4	5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic	2013-08-02
-0.5	2nd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship	2013-06-21

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2020	1	100%	top 42%	92.5%	92.5%
2014	3	33%	top 49%	91%	89.6%
2013	4	25%	top 56%	91.3%	89.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2020-02-21	The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial 🏅 Coachella, CA	21 / 50 (665.6572)	10 (171.4056)	41 (159.9772)	20 (168.0228)	21 (166.2516)
2014-06-20	3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA	33 / 65 (655.4060)	16 (170.8572)	52 (155.9544)	33 (162.8800)	22 (165.7144)
2014-05-16	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	30 / 56 (633.7828)	22 (164.5828)	36 (151.4516)	36 (156.5828)	19 (161.1656)
2014-02-21	The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) Indio, CA	20 / 48 (645.1200)	21 (163.4172)	13 (160.0228)	3 (172.0000)	40 (149.6800)
2013-12-28	4th Annual Wild Wild West BBQ Championship (Day 2) Lake Elsinore, CA	20 / 25 (635.3600)	17 (161.1200)	19 (159.9544)	14 (160.0000)	19 (154.2856)
2013-10-04	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	31 / 99 (657.1312)	30 (167.4172)	74 (155.4172)	21 (168.0228)	26 (166.2740)
2013-08-02	5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic Vista, CA	27 / 46 (639.9428)	8 (169.1428)	21 (161.7488)	43 (146.2056)	17 (162.8456)
2013-06-21	2nd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA	38 / 70 (634.8568)	12 (167.4286)	25 (162.8570)	46 (155.4284)	50 (149.1428)

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
2020 ↗	Master	#803 (80 pts)	#654 (135 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#838 (85 pts)	#830 (80 pts)