Perfect scores on the board
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.
- Pork Ribs ×1
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 92 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival (2021-08-20) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 8-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, One2BBQ.
Took the Grand Championship over a 43-team field at Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival.
A call in 38 of 57 contests
A top-10 category call in 67% of their 57 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
97.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 704.0116 at All American BBQ Throwdown — 97.8% of a perfect 720.
They've taken 1 state championship from 42 entries at contests carrying the title.
The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company has finished one call ahead of Bleacher Bums BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
2025 was the year it came together: 15 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 35%.
iBQ'n ahead in 70% of their meetings
iBQ'n has come out ahead in 19 of their 27 shared contests.
Their last Grand Championship came at Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival on 2021-08-20 — 52 contests and 5 years ago.
Ahead in 88% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of DAT'S BBQ in 14 of their 16 shared contests.
Off the trail for 2.3 years, then back at Rockin BBQ (2020-05-29).
iBQ'n has landed one call behind them 3 times.
Their overall swings ±11.53% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
Something about July: average finish in the top 28% across 4 contests, versus top 47% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,245 miles across 57 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 893 miles to Lakeland Pig Festival.
They've cooked All American BBQ Throwdown every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.
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.
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Bleacher Bums BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headThey've been 1668 at their best, 37 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-headCareers of much the same size, 40 contests to 57, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Bleacher Bums BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir rating is built on 4 Grand Championships in 47 contests, alongside a 43% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-headLevel with Bleacher Bums BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiggin aint easy | 36 | 11 | 25 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 27 | 8 | 19 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| TIRE SMOKE BBQ | 26 | 9 | 17 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 26 | 9 | 17 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| BooyaQ | 25 | 8 | 17 | 32% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 25 | 7 | 18 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Maestros | 24 | 16 | 8 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 24 | 8 | 16 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| KEVLAR BBQ | 22 | 9 | 13 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 22 | 6 | 16 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ | 19 | 7 | 12 | 37% | ⚔ compare |
| Q-JITSU | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| DAT'S BBQ | 16 | 14 | 2 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 44 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 179.4400 | 151.9428 | 170.78 | top 45% |
| Pork Ribs | 55 | 28 | 3 | 10 | 180.0000 🔥 | 143.3600 | 170.75 | top 38% |
| Pork | 43 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 149.6684 | 167.88 | top 51% |
| Brisket | 43 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 177.1428 | 154.2400 | 168.40 | top 47% |
“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.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | 16 | 1 | top 49% |
| MI | 11 | 0 | top 37% |
| OH | 5 | 0 | top 43% |
| KS | 4 | 0 | top 61% |
| IL | 2 | 0 | top 40% |
| KY | 2 | 0 | top 45% |
| VA | 1 | 0 | top 41% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 84% |
| FL | 1 | 0 | top 55% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 0 | top 53% |
| Large (40+) | 22 | 1 | top 40% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All American BBQ Throwdown | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 30% | 2026-07-31 |
| Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 29% | 2022-08-19 |
| Buckeye BBQ Classic | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 32% | 2026-07-17 |
| Grizzly BBQ Brawl | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 44% | 2026-06-26 |
| Smoke in the Mitten | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 50% | 2026-05-01 |
| Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 40% | 2025-09-19 |
| GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 38% | 2025-04-18 |
| Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 45% | 2024-05-03 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 180 | 0 | top 48% | 2023-09-27 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 2 | 155 | 0 | top 73% | 2023-09-27 |
| 8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (Day 2) | 2 | 17 | 0 | top 69% | 2022-05-14 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19.1 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival | 2021-08-20 |
| +14.7 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ Blues | 2023-08-18 |
| +14.7 | All American BBQ Throwdown | 2026-07-31 |
| +14.1 | Buckeye BBQ Classic | 2025-07-18 |
| +13.9 | Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition | 2023-05-05 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.5 | Grizzly BBQ Brawl | 2026-06-26 |
| -8.1 | Rockin' BBQ Take 2 | 2023-08-25 |
| -6.3 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 2 | 2020-09-12 |
| -5.5 | Hoosier BBQ Classic | 2025-06-06 |
| -5.2 | Bands and BBQ at the Point | 2025-09-12 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 70% | top 39% | 97.8% | 95.2% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 87% | top 35% | 97.1% | 95.4% |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 78% | top 44% | 96% | 94.4% |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 70% | top 52% | 96.8% | 93.9% |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 38% | top 65% | 169.8% | 103.7% |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 2% | 97% | 97% |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 92.2% | 91% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | City of Madison BBQ Party (formerly Madison Ribberfest) 🏅 Madison, IN | 4 / 39 (699.3828) | 9 (172.5600) | 1 (179.4400) | 3 (178.8572) | 19 (168.5256) |
| 2026-07-31 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 3 / 45 (704.0116) | 3 (178.2972) | 2 (177.1544) | 12 (173.7028) | 6 (174.8572) |
| 2026-07-31 | All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2026-07-17 | Buckeye BBQ Classic 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 16 / 30 (684.4912) | 3 (177.1428) | 22 (168.5600) | 20 (169.1084) | 16 (169.6800) |
| 2026-06-26 | Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH | 30 / 39 (663.2568) | 18 (170.8228) | 26 (165.1200) | 26 (165.0856) | 29 (162.2284) |
| 2026-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 18 / 35 (680.5144) | 3 (178.2972) | 19 (169.6800) | 33 (157.6456) | 6 (174.8916) |
| 2026-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 19 (170.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-05-01 | Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI | 17 / 34 (674.2056) | 3 (174.2628) | 25 (165.0972) | 11 (170.3200) | 20 (164.5256) |
| 2026-05-01 | Smoke in the Mitten (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 16 (167.4172) | — | — |
| 2026-04-17 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Coldwater, MI | 12 / 48 (691.9196) | 24 (173.1084) | 9 (176.5944) | 8 (174.8456) | 29 (167.3712) |
| 2025-09-19 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 27 / 56 (690.7888) | 13 (176.5600) | 9 (177.1544) | 37 (169.6800) | 42 (167.3944) |
| 2025-09-12 | Bands and BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 16 / 29 (676.3880) | 17 (169.6800) | 18 (168.5256) | 16 (168.5140) | 14 (169.6684) |
| 2025-09-05 | Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH | 5 / 42 (694.2400) | 3 (179.4400) | 24 (169.1200) | 13 (173.7028) | 7 (171.9772) |
| 2025-08-15 | Madison Ribberfest 🏅 Madison, IN | 16 / 45 (687.3256) | 1 (178.8572) | 29 (167.9656) | 19 (173.1084) | 28 (167.3944) |
| 2025-08-01 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 12 / 43 (687.3484) | 7 (175.4056) | 7 (174.8572) | 25 (168.5600) | 19 (168.5256) |
| 2025-08-01 | All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 19 (168.5256) | — | — |
| 2025-07-25 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 15 / 37 (682.7768) | 20 (170.2512) | 18 (168.5600) | 5 (173.1428) | 18 (170.8228) |
| 2025-07-18 | Buckeye BBQ Classic 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 4 / 40 (694.7884) | 18 (170.2628) | 2 (177.7028) | 6 (174.8572) | 11 (171.9656) |
| 2025-06-06 | Hoosier BBQ Classic 🏅 Franklin, IN | 20 / 30 (674.1140) | 23 (165.0856) | 5 (173.1200) | 25 (163.9428) | 13 (171.9656) |
| 2025-06-06 | Hoosier BBQ Classic (ONE MEAT RIBS) Franklin, IN | — | — | 2 (178.8572) | — | — |
| 2025-05-16 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 9 / 34 (686.7312) | 11 (175.4056) | 25 (166.2400) | 15 (169.6684) | 3 (175.4172) |
| 2025-05-16 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | — | — | 5 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-05-09 | Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI | 13 / 26 (679.9084) | 18 (166.8112) | 16 (166.8572) | 9 (171.9656) | 4 (174.2744) |
| 2025-05-09 | Smoke in the Mitten (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 5 (172.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-04-18 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 7 / 56 (698.8112) | 2 (177.7028) | 4 (176.0000) | 11 (174.2856) | 24 (170.8228) |
| 2024-09-20 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 19 / 58 (689.1316) | 40 (168.0000) | 2 (176.5716) | 16 (174.2628) | 22 (170.2972) |
| 2024-09-13 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 11 / 31 (677.6916) | 19 (169.7372) | 2 (175.4172) | 13 (169.6800) | 22 (162.8572) |
| 2024-09-06 | Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wadsworth, OH | 19 / 30 (667.3028) | 21 (166.8228) | 25 (160.5372) | 14 (169.6684) | 13 (170.2744) |
| 2024-08-02 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 9 / 40 (687.9884) | 12 (172.5600) | 1 (176.5944) | 16 (169.7256) | 15 (169.1084) |
| 2024-08-02 | All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 9 (172.0000) | — | — |
| 2024-05-17 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 8 / 32 (691.3484) | 23 (169.6684) | 3 (176.0000) | 15 (172.5600) | 5 (173.1200) |
| 2024-05-17 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | — | — | 7 (176.0000) | — | — |
| 2024-05-03 | Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition 🏅 Westland, MI | 17 / 26 (670.6968) | 6 (174.8456) | 4 (172.5600) | 26 (153.6228) | 7 (169.6684) |
| 2024-04-19 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 39 / 62 (673.0400) | 21 (172.5600) | 16 (171.9772) | 55 (159.9772) | 37 (168.5256) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 180 / 487 (679.3596) | 187 (170.8112) | 172 (171.4056) | 229 (168.5600) | 191 (168.5828) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 177 / 211 (669.6228) | 9 (178.2972) | 179 (165.6800) | 154 (167.3828) | 195 (158.2628) |
| 2023-08-25 | Rockin' BBQ Take 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 19 / 23 (664.9944) | 16 (168.5372) | 23 (162.8116) | 10 (170.8228) | 20 (162.8228) |
| 2023-08-25 | Rockin' BBQ Take 2 (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Warsaw, IN | — | 20 (166.2860) | — | — | — |
| 2023-08-18 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ Blues 🏅 Madison, IN | 5 / 41 (697.0628) | 5 (176.5600) | 7 (175.4172) | 4 (176.5600) | 22 (168.5256) |
| 2023-08-04 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 27 / 44 (665.0056) | 32 (165.6800) | 9 (171.4172) | 35 (159.9428) | 17 (167.9656) |
| 2023-08-04 | All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 13 (170.3200) | — | — |
| 2023-05-19 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 22 / 35 (670.2744) | 32 (159.9772) | 10 (172.0000) | 13 (170.2972) | 17 (168.0000) |
| 2023-05-19 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 9 (170.2628) | — | — |
| 2023-05-05 | Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition 🏅 Westland, MI | 6 / 25 (688.0112) | 15 (170.8228) | 4 (174.2856) | 3 (173.7600) | 13 (169.1428) |
| 2022-10-14 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series)(JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 70 / 83 (661.5884) | 83 (151.9428) | 2 (180.0000) | 82 (157.6456) | 23 (172.0000) |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS | 155 / 249 (677.6000) | 158 (169.6800) | 177 (167.3944) | 121 (170.8228) | 116 (169.7028) |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 298 / 505 (661.0968) | 375 (162.2628) | 100 (173.1428) | 374 (161.1428) | 266 (164.5484) |
| 2022-08-19 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN | 25 / 45 (669.5656) | 18 (171.9656) | 13 (170.8228) | 36 (158.2400) | 22 (168.5372) |
| 2022-05-14 | 8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 17 / 25 (668.5032) | 4 (177.7144) | 6 (172.0116) | 23 (155.9428) | 20 (162.8344) |
| 2022-05-13 | 8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 25 / 36 (667.3484) | 19 (169.7144) | 25 (164.5256) | 20 (168.5256) | 26 (164.5828) |
| 2022-05-13 | 8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (One Meat Ribs) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 1 (177.7144) | — | — |
| 2022-01-28 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 33 / 60 (611.2228) | 15 (163.9544) | 38 (143.3600) | 37 (149.6684) | 24 (154.2400) |
| 2021-08-20 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN | 1 / 43 (698.2400) | 13 (173.1200) | 5 (173.1200) | 10 (174.8572) | 3 (177.1428) |
| 2020-09-12 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 23 / 26 (659.8628) | 21 (167.4056) | 25 (159.3944) | 21 (164.5372) | 15 (168.5256) |
| 2020-09-11 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 20 / 36 (663.8628) | 28 (164.5372) | 19 (166.2628) | 15 (169.6916) | 23 (163.3712) |
| 2020-05-29 | Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 49 / 66 (642.7084) | 47 (161.1200) | 58 (155.3600) | 42 (159.9656) | 33 (166.2628) |
| 2018-01-26 | Lakeland Pig Festival Lakeland, FL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #170 (924 pts) | #102 (1239 pts) | #91 (1324 pts) | #186 (844 pts) | #221 (744 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #153 (1335 pts) | #101 (1555 pts) | #87 (1741 pts) | #179 (1165 pts) | #153 (1265 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #295 (749 pts) | #352 (659 pts) | #63 (1692 pts) | #343 (654 pts) | #300 (769 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #311 (683 pts) | #293 (774 pts) | #207 (1082 pts) | #254 (858 pts) | #367 (578 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #581 (330 pts) | #450 (505 pts) | #344 (745 pts) | #611 (325 pts) | #607 (330 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #579 (285 pts) | #978 (120 pts) | #818 (185 pts) | #913 (135 pts) | #692 (235 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #492 (206 pts) | #543 (191 pts) | #548 (201 pts) | #474 (241 pts) | #499 (231 pts) |