Big Bad Hawg's

Big Bad Hawg's is a competition barbecue team with 10 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2017. Their best overall finish is 15th of 16 at the Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival (2014). They are ranked #3974 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,974

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1484

peak 1484 · rated over 10 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 5, 2014

latest Oct 13, 2017 · 3.1 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 64%

overall standings

Best overall

666.2056 / 720

Master · CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

648.67 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 610.63 (+38.04)

Walk rate

70%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4400

Chicken · Route 66 Smoke Out

Consistency

±97.66

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 163.87 · weakest Brisket (157.10)

Road miles

713

across 10 mapped stops · furthest 58 mi

Schedule strength

35%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1547)

Master avg

610.63 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (8 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

They almost always walk

70% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 7 of 10 contests

A top-10 category call in 70% of their 10 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

666.2056 career-best overall

92.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 666.2056 at CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ — 92.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 14, 2016

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 51%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 51%

A tough matchup

9–0 behind in the head-to-head

ALL IN QUE ahead in 100% of their meetings

ALL IN QUE has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.76 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 20% of the time against 30%.

Brisket avg 157.10
Pork Ribs avg 163.87
2 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKY LINCS in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

6 of 9 shared pork ribs entries lost

ALL IN QUE ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ALL IN QUE has out-cooked them in 6 of 9 shared pork ribs entries.

Show 1 more storyline

Boom or bust

±13.56% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±13.56% 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.

averages 84.8% of a perfect score
best 92.5%

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Big Bad Hawg's, each with one reason worth a look.

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

HIGH ON THE HOG CATLIN, IL

#3,973 of the rated field

1484 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1505

3–0 in 3 shared contests (100% to Big Bad Hawg's)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Big Bad Hawg's ahead 3–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Oct 13, 2017

⚔ Head-to-head

WHISKEY WHISKERS BBQ COMPANY

#4,005 of the rated field

1483 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Big Bad Hawg's)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 18 contests to 10.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Aug 21, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Monsters of the Ribway

#4,001 of the rated field

1483 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1546

0–5 in 5 shared contests (0% to Big Bad Hawg's)

They've been 1546 at their best, 62 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 37 contests
last seen Jul 14, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

honey b-b-q

#4,006 of the rated field

1483 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1483

They turned up 7 years after Big Bad Hawg's did, first appearing in 2021.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Sep 20, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

WEST COAST SMOKE

#3,962 of the rated field

1484 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

Level with Big Bad Hawg's on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jun 4, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

TEMPTATION STATION

#3,986 of the rated field

1484 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1484

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUAU	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
CHANNABILLY BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
Outsiders BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
FIDDLIN' FATBACK	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
NUTTHIN BUT PORK	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Oui Oui Oui BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
BOSS HAWG BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
JUGS BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
PORK PARADISE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	1	1	175.4400	141.6800	159.66	top 66%
Pork Ribs	10	3	1	171.9772	150.8344	163.87	top 41%
Pork	9	2	0	173.1428	143.9312	162.18	top 51%
Brisket	10	2	0	170.2856	139.3944	157.10	top 63%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 94%
Medium (20–39)	3	top 76%
Large (40+)	6	top 54%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	2	19	top 54%	Oct 13, 2017
Route 66 Smoke Out	2	16	top 60%	May 5, 2017
Central Illinois Bragging Rights	2	22	top 73%	Oct 9, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 3 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 10 of 10 contests

Contests visited 7 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 172 finished ahead 158 times, behind 234

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

20173 milestones

May 5 Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4400 Route 66 Smoke Out
Oct 13 10th tracked contest CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ
Oct 13 Most recent contest CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ

20161 milestone

Oct 14 Career-best overall score666.2056 CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ

20151 milestone

Jul 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.2284 5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown

20143 milestones

Sep 5 First tracked contest Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival
Sep 5 First call Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival
Sep 5 Peak power rating (1488) Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.2	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	Oct 14, 2016
+6	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown	Jul 24, 2015
+4.6	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	Oct 9, 2015
+1.7	Route 66 Smoke Out	May 5, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.1	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	Oct 10, 2014
-12.1	Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival	Sep 5, 2014
-4.8	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)	Jul 22, 2016
-4.2	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	Oct 13, 2017
-2.6	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)	May 1, 2015

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2017	2	50%	top 64%	91%	90.1%
2016	3	100%	top 56%	92.5%	90.1%
2015	3	67%	top 51%	91.5%	90.4%
2014	2	50%	top 97%	81.3%	63.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 13, 2017	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	30 / 41 (642.1144)	18 (167.4056)	15 (165.1088)	37 (151.3716)	29 (158.2284)
May 5, 2017	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	16 / 29 (655.2684)	3 (175.4400)	22 (160.5144)	21 (158.1940)	14 (161.1200)
Oct 14, 2016	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Authur, IL	19 / 55 (666.2056)	49 (156.5256)	8 (171.4400)	11 (169.6800)	18 (168.5600)
Jul 22, 2016	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) Peoria, IL	27 / 37 (640.9832)	35 (152.5372)	2 (171.9772)	20 (165.0856)	30 (151.3832)
Jun 3, 2016	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	32 / 52 (638.7888)	41 (159.9772)	16 (165.1544)	10 (170.2972)	49 (143.3600)
Oct 9, 2015	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	22 / 48 (658.7772)	29 (162.8228)	17 (166.2972)	5 (173.1428)	34 (156.5144)
Jul 24, 2015	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	20 / 47 (654.2284)	29 (157.7144)	19 (163.4056)	24 (162.8228)	9 (170.2856)
May 1, 2015	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Dwight, IL	26 / 40 (639.8856)	23 (162.8684)	33 (150.8344)	17 (165.0972)	23 (161.0856)
Oct 10, 2014	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	37 / 37 (585.5656)	37 (141.6800)	18 (160.5600)	36 (143.9312)	36 (139.3944)
Sep 5, 2014	Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival Peoria, IL	15 / 16 (324.4912)	—	7 (163.3828)	—	10 (161.1084)

Big Bad Hawg's

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (8 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork Ribs nemesis

Boom or bust

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)