Cotton BBQ TN
Rating
1580
peak 1580 · rated over 37 contests
Contests
48
in the data
First seen
2019-04-05
latest 2026-08-15
Best ToY finish
#178
Master 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
10 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
of 48 contests
Avg finish
top 49%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
689.87 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 678.66 (+11.21)
Walk rate
52%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±14.10
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.58 · weakest Brisket (168.21)
Road miles
9843
mi across 48 mapped stops · furthest 498 mi
Schedule strength
78%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1578)
Purse competed for
$439K
listed at 38 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 34 state-championship entries
Master avg
678.66 / 720
37 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Shiggin aint easy has finished one call ahead of Cotton BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN has come out ahead in 24 of their 26 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Blinkys Offset BBQ in 11 of their 13 shared contests.
😤 Pork nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, Shiggin aint easy has out-cooked them in 21 of 25 shared pork entries.
📅 A July team
Something about July: average finish in the top 37% across 5 contests, versus top 49% the rest of the year.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 1.5 years, then back at Best of the Midwest BBQ (2020-10-16).
Teams like this (closest power rating, TN first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 26 | 2 | 24 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Shiggin aint easy | 25 | 6 | 19 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 17 | 3 | 14 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 16 | 1 | 15 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| WeQ4U | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Blinkys Offset BBQ | 13 | 11 | 2 | 85% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Organizer Portal | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Poppa Pig | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 38 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 156.5256 | 169.91 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 45 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 178.8572 | 155.9544 | 170.20 | top 43% |
| Pork | 37 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 159.3600 | 170.58 | top 46% |
| Brisket | 37 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 179.4400 | 144.4572 | 168.21 | top 51% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KY | 9 | 0 | top 46% |
| GA | 6 | 0 | top 55% |
| TN | 5 | 0 | top 49% |
| IL | 4 | 0 | top 51% |
| MI | 3 | 0 | top 45% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 24% |
| IN | 2 | 0 | top 56% |
| WI | 2 | 0 | top 70% |
| OH | 1 | 0 | top 13% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 44% |
| VA | 1 | 0 | top 50% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 76% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 40% |
| Medium (20–39) | 16 | 0 | top 49% |
| Large (40+) | 20 | 0 | top 50% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 4 | 13 | 0 | top 44% | 2026-03-20 |
| Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | 4 | 21 | 0 | top 53% | 2025-11-14 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 86 | 0 | top 24% | 2025-11-05 |
| Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 45% | 2025-09-19 |
| Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 60% | 2025-03-07 |
| Reuniting After War BBQ Competition | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 33% | 2023-09-15 |
| Best of the Midwest BBQ | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 70% | 2022-10-14 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in TN (10 of 48 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (45 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 678.66 / 720
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-04-05 — First tracked contest · Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off
- 📣 2019-04-05 — First call · Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off
- 🎖️ 2025-03-14 — 25th tracked contest · Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- ⭐ 2026-08-15 — Career-best overall score (700.5028) · Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2)
- 📈 2026-08-15 — Peak power rating (1580) · Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16 | Reuniting After War (R.A.W.) BBQ Competition | 2022-09-16 |
| +14.9 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 2024-03-15 |
| +14.8 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 2025-09-19 |
| +14 | Buckeye BBQ Classic | 2026-07-17 |
| +13.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2024-10-30 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.2 | Trekking for CDH | 2024-09-14 |
| -10.5 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2023-03-03 |
| -9.5 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | 2022-10-14 |
| -6.9 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | 2024-11-15 |
| -6.6 | Bands & BBQ at the Point | 2024-09-13 |
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 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 60% | top 35% | 97.3% | 95.7% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 53% | top 43% | 97.1% | 95.1% |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70% | top 54% | 96.5% | 94.3% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 60% | 94.5% | 92.9% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 57% | 97.3% | 92.8% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 62% | 90.1% | 90.1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 71% | 92% | 92% |
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 | 6 / 32 (700.5028) | 23 (171.9772) | 1 (178.8572) | 13 (174.2628) | 8 (175.4056) |
| 2026-07-31 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 24 / 45 (681.0628) | 31 (169.6800) | 12 (174.2972) | 34 (163.3828) | 10 (173.7028) |
| 2026-07-31 | All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 31 (155.9544) | — | — |
| 2026-07-24 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY | 6 / 22 (695.9084) | 9 (173.1084) | 3 (175.4172) | 7 (176.5600) | 12 (170.8228) |
| 2026-07-17 | Buckeye BBQ Classic 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 4 / 30 (695.9428) | 4 (176.5600) | 3 (176.0000) | 7 (174.8572) | 19 (168.5256) |
| 2026-05-01 | Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI | 16 / 34 (675.9200) | 24 (165.6684) | 5 (174.8572) | 12 (169.1544) | 18 (166.2400) |
| 2026-05-01 | Smoke in the Mitten (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 7 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 62 / 125 (684.4340) | 35 (175.4056) | 51 (171.9656) | 117 (159.3600) | 12 (177.7028) |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 16 (175.4172) | — | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 44 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-11-14 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 21 / 56 (690.1828) | 31 (170.8228) | 13 (175.4172) | 12 (174.2744) | 34 (169.6684) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 113 / 401 (687.8968) | 292 (165.6684) | 17 (177.7028) | 139 (171.9772) | 102 (172.5484) |
| 2025-10-31 | "Spooky Q" 1792 Monticello, KY | 16 / 23 (671.7936) | 5 (174.2628) | 17 (162.7768) | 11 (170.8228) | 17 (163.9312) |
| 2025-10-03 | La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown 🏅 La Belle, MO | 17 / 39 (689.6228) | 20 (173.1200) | 27 (170.8344) | 21 (171.9656) | 10 (173.7028) |
| 2025-09-19 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 10 / 56 (699.3828) | 7 (177.7144) | 26 (172.0000) | 9 (177.7028) | 30 (171.9656) |
| 2025-09-12 | Bands and BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 10 / 29 (684.5028) | 8 (171.9656) | 13 (171.4172) | 15 (169.1428) | 7 (171.9772) |
| 2025-08-15 | Madison Ribberfest 🏅 Madison, IN | 23 / 45 (678.7312) | 31 (167.9656) | 28 (167.9772) | 22 (170.8228) | 14 (171.9656) |
| 2025-07-25 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY | 4 / 10 (691.3140) | 10 (162.7884) | 2 (178.8572) | 5 (174.2628) | 1 (175.4056) |
| 2025-06-06 | Hoosier BBQ Classic 🏅 Franklin, IN | 18 / 30 (676.4684) | 16 (171.9772) | 12 (168.5600) | 27 (163.3828) | 11 (172.5484) |
| 2025-06-06 | Hoosier BBQ Classic (ONE MEAT RIBS) Franklin, IN | — | — | 7 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-04-18 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 20 / 56 (685.0284) | 18 (174.2628) | 36 (166.8228) | 10 (175.4172) | 34 (168.5256) |
| 2025-03-14 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 65 / 100 (675.8512) | 45 (173.1200) | 88 (162.2284) | 12 (176.5600) | 77 (163.9428) |
| 2025-03-14 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 12 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-03-07 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 16 / 45 (687.8972) | 9 (175.4172) | 21 (170.8344) | 18 (173.1200) | 31 (168.5256) |
| 2024-11-15 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cuming, GA | 41 / 58 (674.1140) | 41 (168.5256) | 31 (170.8228) | 43 (166.2284) | 31 (168.5372) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 86 / 444 (689.1316) | 109 (174.2744) | 205 (169.7372) | 284 (165.6800) | 8 (179.4400) |
| 2024-09-20 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 42 / 58 (668.9940) | 49 (161.6572) | 33 (169.7028) | 31 (171.4056) | 35 (166.2284) |
| 2024-09-14 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 33 / 35 (667.3028) | 35 (159.3944) | 8 (175.4400) | 19 (171.9656) | 33 (160.5028) |
| 2024-09-13 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 20 / 31 (671.3944) | 12 (172.6056) | 5 (173.1544) | 22 (165.0972) | 25 (160.5372) |
| 2024-07-26 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 16 / 32 (683.3488) | 17 (169.1200) | 23 (163.9544) | 9 (174.8572) | 5 (175.4172) |
| 2024-05-10 | Derby Park Que Off Louisville, KY | 9 / 21 (681.5884) | 3 (175.4056) | 7 (169.1200) | 12 (169.6684) | 12 (167.3944) |
| 2024-03-15 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 13 / 93 (694.8116) | 17 (175.4172) | 9 (176.0116) | 17 (175.4172) | 56 (167.9656) |
| 2024-03-15 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 3 (177.1544) | — | — |
| 2023-11-17 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 33 / 60 (680.4684) | 48 (166.2628) | 27 (172.5600) | 30 (169.6800) | 23 (171.9656) |
| 2023-09-15 | Reuniting After War BBQ Competition 🏅 Bowling Green, KY | 15 / 28 (672.4688) | 15 (169.1316) | 13 (167.9656) | 14 (170.2744) | 19 (165.0972) |
| 2023-03-17 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 39 / 80 (675.8628) | 30 (173.1084) | 42 (166.8344) | 24 (171.9772) | 58 (163.9428) |
| 2023-03-17 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2023-03-03 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 55 / 65 (646.0800) | 58 (156.5256) | 55 (161.6572) | 53 (162.8000) | 41 (165.0972) |
| 2022-11-18 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 28 / 57 (668.9596) | 39 (165.0856) | 32 (165.6800) | 33 (166.2284) | 15 (171.9656) |
| 2022-11-17 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic (One Meat Ribs) Cumming, GA | — | — | 14 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2022-11-11 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN Gadsden, AL | 69 / 91 (666.7084) | 81 (164.5256) | 64 (166.2628) | 13 (176.5600) | 79 (159.3600) |
| 2022-10-14 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 28 / 36 (648.3656) | 30 (161.6684) | 18 (165.6800) | 2 (176.5600) | 33 (144.4572) |
| 2022-09-16 | Reuniting After War (R.A.W.) BBQ Competition 🏅 Bowling Green, KY | 3 / 24 (700.5028) | 6 (174.2628) | 3 (174.2744) | 9 (174.2628) | 2 (177.7028) |
| 2022-03-18 | Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 43 / 63 (656.9600) | 41 (167.9656) | 56 (158.8116) | 44 (165.0972) | 41 (165.0856) |
| 2020-10-16 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 31 / 50 (648.5492) | 26 (166.3204) | 32 (161.1428) | 30 (162.2516) | 33 (158.8344) |
| 2019-04-05 | Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off 🏅 Franklin, KY | 20 / 28 (662.1832) | 10 (168.5600) | 15 (167.9888) | 10 (168.5600) | 26 (157.0744) |
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 | #178 (848 pts) | #221 (753 pts) | #57 (1494 pts) | #190 (798 pts) | #197 (763 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #206 (1053 pts) | #198 (1143 pts) | #209 (1128 pts) | #198 (1098 pts) | #191 (1123 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #323 (674 pts) | #300 (779 pts) | #195 (1114 pts) | #320 (694 pts) | #311 (754 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #691 (223 pts) | #746 (223 pts) | #619 (346 pts) | #617 (288 pts) | #676 (253 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #570 (344 pts) | #672 (284 pts) | #596 (379 pts) | #494 (454 pts) | #560 (369 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1834 (78 pts) | #1544 (128 pts) | #1777 (103 pts) | #1543 (128 pts) | #2560 (53 pts) |