Cotton BBQ TN
Rating
1544
peak 1544
Contests
43
in the data
First seen
2019-04-05
latest 2026-05-01
Best ToY finish
#206
Master 2025
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
of 43 contests
Avg finish
top 52%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
682.05 ▲
last 5 vs career avg 676.87 (+5.17)
Walk rate
49%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±13.68
std dev of overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.38 · weakest Brisket (167.74)
Road miles
8736
mi across 43 mapped stops · furthest 498 mi
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
WE WILL ROCK QUE has finished one call ahead of Cotton BBQ 2 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 22 of their 23 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Blinkys Offset BBQ in 9 of their 11 shared contests.
Teams like this (closest power rating, TN first)
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 34 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 156.5256 | 169.57 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 40 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 178.8572 | 158.8116 | 169.97 | top 44% |
| Pork | 33 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 159.3600 | 170.38 | top 46% |
| Brisket | 33 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 179.4400 | 144.4572 | 167.74 | top 52% |
“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 | 8 | 0 | top 49% |
| GA | 6 | 0 | top 55% |
| TN | 5 | 0 | top 49% |
| IL | 3 | 0 | top 62% |
| MI | 2 | 0 | top 41% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 24% |
| IN | 2 | 0 | top 56% |
| WI | 2 | 0 | top 70% |
| 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) | 13 | 0 | top 56% |
| Large (40+) | 19 | 0 | top 50% |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in TN (10 of 43 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (40 entries)
- All-time average overall score: 676.87
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Category wins | Best overall | Avg overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 684.4340 | 680.18 |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 699.3828 | 684.89 |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 694.8116 | 678.84 |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 680.4684 | 668.72 |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 700.5028 | 668.30 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 648.5492 | 648.55 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 662.1832 | 662.18 |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
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 | #412 (244 pts) | #429 (289 pts) | #234 (578 pts) | #374 (309 pts) | #392 (279 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) |