High-water mark
672.4572
career-best overall
93.4% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 672.4572 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest — 93.4% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Sep 30, 2026
Buckeye Barbeque
Buckeye Barbeque is a competition barbecue team with 21 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 6th of 36 at the Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) (). They are ranked #5033 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1462
peak 1462 · rated over 8 contests5 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
21
in the data
First seen
Oct 29, 2016
latest Sep 30, 2026 · 9.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
1 podium
Overall top-10s
2
10% of 21 contests
Avg finish
top 61%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
647.00 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 641.35 (+5.65)
Walk rate
24%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±19.98
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.14 · weakest Brisket (159.69)
Road miles
3,640
across 20 mapped stops · furthest 510 mi
Schedule strength
73%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1593)
Purse competed for
$219K
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
641.35 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Buckeye Barbeque, each with one reason worth a look.
128 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5,037 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1462
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#5,045 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1501
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Buckeye Barbeque's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#5,023 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
Fewer contests behind them than Buckeye Barbeque has cooked, 8 to 21, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#5,014 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1500
Level with Buckeye Barbeque on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#5,020 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1462
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 9 contests, alongside a 11% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#5,039 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1507
They've been 1507 at their best, 45 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATTITUDES OF SMOKE | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke & Beer BBQ | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| PORK RADIO 810 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 BRATS AND A COCKTAIL WEENIE | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Hawg Wild | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| HI-TECH SMOKERS | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Rub On It BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Burn Rate! | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Rocks Famous BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke Me Tender BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Tractor Shed BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BRR-B-Q | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| OINK, MOO & COCK-A-DOODLE DOO | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Three Brothers Different Mothers | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Casual Smokers | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 173.7144 | 156.5256 | 168.14 | top 42% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 147.9656 | 162.38 | top 61% |
| Pork | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 174.2628 | 145.7028 | 160.70 | top 65% |
| Brisket | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171.9772 | 146.8228 | 159.69 | top 61% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 50% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 68% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 236 | 0 | top 69% | Sep 30, 2026 |
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 50% | Jun 12, 2026 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2015
4 contests
Contests a season
1.8
across 12 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
13 of 21 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
9
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
1,669
finished ahead 834 times, behind 2,586
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Sep 12, 2019 → Sep 16, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best overall score672.4572 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
20251 milestone
- Career-best single call (Pork)174.2628 Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
20171 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
20161 milestone
- Peak power rating (1495) 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
—5 milestones
- First tracked contest Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First call Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First category win (Chicken) Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall top-10 Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score514.8344 Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +0.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | Sep 29, 2022 |
| +0.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Sep 30, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.3 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | Sep 1, 2017 |
| -8.3 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | Sep 15, 2018 |
| -6.6 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST | Sep 16, 2021 |
| -5.1 | Brew B Q | Nov 10, 2017 |
| -5 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | Oct 29, 2016 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 17% | 95.3% | 95.3% |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 59% | 93.9% | 93.6% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 64% | 92% | 92% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 33% | 93.8% | 93.8% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 65% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 76% | 88.6% | 88.6% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 40% | 94.7% | 92.6% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 88% | 85.6% | 85.6% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 89% | 90.7% | 87.6% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 75% | 88% | 88% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | — | — | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS | 236 / 360 (672.4572) | 193 (169.6800) | 329 (158.8344) | 150 (171.9656) | 112 (171.9772) |
| Sep 30, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 17 / 32 (506.8232) | 11 (173.7144) | 27 (159.3944) | 11 (173.7144) | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 23 / 36 (497.0284) | 32 (156.5256) | 21 (166.2400) | 7 (174.2628) | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 11 / 33 (506.7656) | 11 (168.5256) | 15 (169.6800) | 16 (168.5600) | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 326 / 505 (657.0740) | 188 (169.6912) | 339 (163.9772) | 455 (154.2628) | 159 (169.1428) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 356 / 467 (637.6232) | 277 (163.4172) | 274 (164.0116) | 420 (150.8344) | 313 (159.3600) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 282 / 468 (651.4056) | 79 (172.0228) | 268 (164) | 407 (152.5372) | 250 (162.8456) |
| May 11, 2019 | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 8 / 41 (511.3484) | 6 (173.7028) | 14 (164.5256) | — | — |
| Sep 15, 2018 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 413 / 467 (616.4452) | 292 (163.4284) | 396 (155.3828) | 423 (150.8112) | 421 (146.8228) |
| Nov 10, 2017 | Brew B Q Nashville, TN | 22 / 26 (653.1092) | 20 (170.2744) | 21 (160.5488) | 12 (169.7144) | 23 (152.5716) |
| Sep 1, 2017 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 377 / 407 (609.0284) | 205 (166.8228) | 380 (147.9656) | 392 (145.7028) | 359 (148.5372) |
| Oct 29, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 417 / 557 (633.6684) | 385 (159.4400) | 382 (159.3828) | 521 (148.5828) | 192 (166.2628) |
| May 27, 2016 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff Lewisburg, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 15, 2016 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD - JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN | — | 7 (173.1428) | 8 (172) | 16 (167.4400) | — |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2015 | Backyard BBQ Brawl (Competitor's Series) Murfreesboro, TN | — | 4 (168.5484) | 10 (165.1316) | — | — |
| Apr 17, 2015 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 18, 2014 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| — | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 6 / 36 (514.8344) | 1 (173.1200) | 16 (164.5600) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.