The heartbreaker
0.5944
points from the title
Came within 0.5944 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin' in Steele (May 30, 2025).
Big Ten Bones
Big Ten Bones is a competition barbecue team with 60 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) (2025), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 6 times. They are ranked #343 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1713
peak 1713 · rated over 51 contests6 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
60
in the data
First seen
May 10, 2019
latest Aug 28, 2026 · 7.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
6 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
9
23 podiums
Overall top-10s
33
55% of 60 contests
Best top-10 run
9
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 32%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
344.64 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 336.35 (+8.30)
Walk rate
73%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.56
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.43 · weakest Pork Ribs (167.09)
Road miles
8,369
across 60 mapped stops · furthest 739 mi
Schedule strength
56%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1571)
Purse competed for
$292K
listed at 50 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 27 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
336.35 / 360
54 Backyard contests · 1 GC
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #15 (1,158 pts) | #42 (880 pts) | #5 (1,274 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | — | #542 (372 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #51 (931 pts) | #62 (844 pts) | #66 (833 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #69 (791 pts) | #91 (661 pts) | #51 (886 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #29 (1,106 pts) | #66 (918 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #50 (838 pts) | #25 (1,113 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Big Ten Bones, each with one reason worth a look.
#346 of the rated field
- Contests
- 52
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1730
Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before Big Ten Bones's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#345 of the rated field
- Contests
- 92
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1714
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 77 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#342 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 68%
- Peak
- 1713
Fewer contests behind them than Big Ten Bones has cooked, 28 to 60, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#344 of the rated field
- Contests
- 127
- GCs
- 6
- Top-10s
- 37%
- Peak
- 1739
Their rating is built on 6 Grand Championships in 127 contests, alongside a 37% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#339 of the rated field
- Contests
- 108
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1761
12–9 in 23 shared contests (52% to Big Ten Bones)
These two have cooked 23 of the same contests — Big Ten Bones ahead 12–9 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#348 of the rated field
- Contests
- 246
- GCs
- 14
- Top-10s
- 55%
- Peak
- 1853
12–2 in 15 shared contests (80% to Big Ten Bones)
They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Big Ten Bones's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensuous BBQ | 35 | 16 | 19 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 34 | 16 | 18 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 32 | 15 | 17 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 29 | 16 | 13 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Porket About It | 29 | 12 | 17 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| Furlongs Smoke & Seafood | 27 | 6 | 21 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| DAD BOD BARBEQUE | 26 | 14 | 12 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 26 | 8 | 17 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 25 | 21 | 4 | 84% | ⚔ compare |
| Unknown Smokers | 25 | 21 | 4 | 84% | ⚔ compare |
| Sugar Shack | 25 | 17 | 8 | 68% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 25 | 13 | 12 | 52% | ⚔ compare |
| Wrecking Crew BBQ | 25 | 11 | 14 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Lucky Shoes BBQ | 24 | 17 | 7 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| NECTAR OF THE HOGS | 23 | 12 | 9 | 52% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 54 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 177.7028 | 154.8000 | 169.43 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 57 | 33 | 7 | 16 | 178.8572 | 150.2856 | 167.09 | top 37% |
“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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 14 | 1 | top 41% |
| Medium (20–39) | 23 | 0 | top 27% |
| Large (40+) | 17 | 0 | top 33% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 6 | 1 | 1 | top 42% | Aug 15, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 6 | 3 | 0 | top 23% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 5 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| Minnesota in May | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 22% | May 8, 2026 |
| Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) | 3 | 8 | 0 | top 57% | Jun 27, 2025 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 10% | May 30, 2025 |
| Minnesota in May (Backyard) | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 27% | May 13, 2022 |
| Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 18% | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 29% | Mar 29, 2024 |
| Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 38% | Sep 9, 2023 |
| Fillmore County Fair BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 14% | Jul 21, 2023 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 45% | Oct 14, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
12 contests
Contests a season
7.5
across 8 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
WI
22 of 60 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
26
12 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
57 entries · 7 wins · 33 calls
First title
Aug 16, 2025
Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
Opponents faced
717
finished ahead 1,755 times, behind 750
Longest layoff
1.1 yrs
Aug 30, 2019 → Oct 16, 2020
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- 50th tracked contest Minnesota in May
- Career-best overall score351.9656 Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1)
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1)
- Peak power rating (1713) Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
- Most recent contest Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1)
20251 milestone
- First Grand Championship Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20231 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
20221 milestone
- First Reserve Championship Fillmore County Fair BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20211 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20196 milestones
- First tracked contest Minnesota in May
- First call Minnesota in May
- First overall top-10 Bring'n Home the Bacon
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score333.6684 Bring'n Home the Bacon
- First category win (Chicken) Smokin in the Bogs
- First overall podium Smokin in the Bogs
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.6 | Smokin in the Bogs | Aug 30, 2019 |
| +12.4 | Minnesota in May | May 8, 2026 |
| +12.4 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 16, 2025 |
| +12.3 | Minnesota in May (Backyard) | May 13, 2022 |
| +12.2 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 10, 2022 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.2 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) | Oct 15, 2023 |
| -8.5 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 17, 2024 |
| -7.7 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 9, 2023 |
| -7.4 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 15, 2026 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 82% | top 23% | 97.8% | 96% |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 86% | top 35% | 96.7% | 94% |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 57% | top 34% | 96.7% | 94.5% |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 55% | top 43% | 96.2% | 93.1% |
| 2022 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 92% | top 24% | 95.9% | 94.1% |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57% | top 38% | 93.2% | 90.8% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | top 23% | 90.6% | 90.6% |
| 2019 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 31% | 92.7% | 89.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) Cherry Valley, IL | 4 / 24 (351.9656) | 10 (173.1084) | 2 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) Cherry Valley, IL | 5 / 25 (348.5372) | 10 (171.9772) | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cherry Valley, IL | — | — | 7 (170.2512) | — | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 11 / 18 (338.8112) | 13 (169.1428) | 14 (169.6684) | — | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Chippewa Valley Ribfest (BACKYARD ONLY) Montevideo, MN | 3 / 14 (347.3944) | 2 (176.5600) | 4 (170.8344) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 12 / 37 (336.5028) | 14 (169.1084) | 13 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 3 / 40 (349.1316) | 15 (171.4172) | 1 (177.7144) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 3 (177.7028) | — | — |
| May 29, 2026 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 2 / 25 (347.9656) | 8 (172.5484) | 4 (175.4172) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | BBQ Fest - Chippewa Falls, WI (BACKYARD ONLY) Chippewa Falls, WI | 7 / 21 (339.4172) | 4 (173.7028) | 10 (165.7144) | — | — |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 2 / 77 (349.1200) | 6 (171.9772) | 1 (177.1428) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 1 / 17 (347.9772) | 5 (172.5600) | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 9 / 15 (330.8000) | 7 (170.8228) | 15 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 14 / 17 (325.6572) | 13 (166.2400) | 15 (159.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 7 / 36 (342.2400) | 5 (174.2744) | 14 (167.9656) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 11 / 36 (343.9428) | 6 (176.5600) | 20 (167.3828) | — | — |
| May 30, 2025 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 2 / 28 (344.5828) | 12 (166.2628) | 1 (178.3200) | — | — |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 23 / 58 (334.8116) | 6 (175.4172) | 32 (159.3944) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 12 / 18 (333.7028) | 11 (169.1428) | 9 (164.5600) | — | — |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 4 / 37 (342.2400) | 15 (165.6800) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 18 / 41 (332.4800) | 16 (168.5256) | 19 (163.9544) | — | — |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 31 / 47 (339.9660) | 25 (171.9888) | 36 (167.9772) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 4 / 58 (345.7144) | 14 (171.4172) | 3 (174.2972) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 5 / 42 (347.9656) | 3 (175.4056) | 7 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 17 / 24 (332.5032) | 4 (175.4288) | 22 (157.0744) | — | — |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Cranberry Country Rally Days Backyard BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) Tomah, WI | 2 / 8 (346.2628) | 2 (171.9656) | 1 (174.2972) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 18 / 30 (330.7772) | 16 (166.2400) | 18 (164.5372) | — | — |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 6 / 16 (339.3716) | 13 (166.2400) | 3 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Aug 12, 2023 | 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Mayetta, KS | 27 / 29 (332.5144) | 22 (169.1200) | 27 (163.3944) | — | — |
| Aug 11, 2023 | 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Mayetta, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Fillmore County Fair BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Preston, MN | 2 / 15 (344) | 4 (174.2972) | 5 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Art of the Que 🏅 Spencer, IA | 8 / 28 (331.9428) | 3 (173.1428) | 13 (158.8000) | — | — |
| Jun 2, 2023 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 4 / 29 (345.7144) | 1 (176.5828) | 6 (169.1316) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 22 / 59 (325.6572) | 20 (164.5372) | 27 (161.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 22 / 47 (323.3488) | 27 (154.8000) | 12 (168.5488) | — | — |
| Nov 12, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL | 24 / 49 (338.2056) | 5 (177.7028) | 39 (160.5028) | — | — |
| Nov 11, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2022 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (One Meat Ribs) West Salem, WI | — | — | 8 (162.8228) | — | — |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) West Salem, WI | 6 / 22 (338.2400) | 10 (168.5372) | 6 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Sep 10, 2022 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 5 / 30 (343.4056) | 6 (172.5484) | 4 (170.8572) | — | — |
| Aug 20, 2022 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 7 / 15 (330.8456) | 12 (160.0228) | 4 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 22, 2022 | Fillmore County Fair BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Preston, MN | 2 / 13 (344.0116) | 7 (170.8572) | 3 (173.1544) | — | — |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Bourbon, Brews & BBQ (BACKYARD) Bancroft, IA | 4 / 14 (345.0972) | 6 (173.1200) | 4 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 11, 2022 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 10 / 37 (335.9200) | 6 (173.1316) | 17 (162.7884) | — | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 4 / 39 (337.6684) | 5 (171.4056) | 10 (166.2628) | — | — |
| Jun 3, 2022 | Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 3 / 33 (329.1772) | 5 (162.8572) | 3 (166.3200) | — | — |
| May 13, 2022 | Minnesota in May (Backyard) Cambridge, MN | 3 / 38 (344.0460) | 8 (169.7372) | 1 (174.3088) | — | — |
| Oct 16, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 2 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 14 / 36 (331.9544) | 9 (168.5716) | 21 (163.3828) | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 25 / 40 (321.0860) | 19 (162.2628) | 29 (158.8232) | — | — |
| Aug 21, 2021 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 6 / 18 (335.4172) | 6 (170.8456) | 6 (164.5716) | — | — |
| Jun 25, 2021 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day one) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 12 / 49 (320.5028) | 11 (159.9656) | 10 (160.5372) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 🏅 West Salem, WI | 18 / 45 (329.7144) | 14 (165.7256) | 19 (163.9888) | — | — |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI | 11 / 52 (331.4172) | 2 (173.7372) | 22 (157.6800) | — | — |
| May 7, 2021 | Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN | 29 / 60 (318.7888) | 27 (162.2628) | 33 (156.5260) | — | — |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI | 9 / 40 (326.2856) | 11 (162.8800) | 12 (163.4056) | — | — |
| Aug 30, 2019 | Smokin in the Bogs 🏅 Warrens, WI | 3 / 38 (331.3944) | 1 (169.6800) | 3 (161.7144) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Northwoods Triple Crown (BACKYARD ONLY) Antigo, WI | 7 / 10 (310.2856) | 5 (160) | 7 (150.2856) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Bring'n Home the Bacon 🏅 West Salem, WI | 8 / 37 (333.6684) | 13 (165.6684) | 3 (168) | — | — |
| May 10, 2019 | Minnesota in May 🏅 | 14 / 57 (312.5600) | 9 (161.7372) | 22 (150.8228) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.