I Smell Smoke

I Smell Smoke is a competition barbecue team with 26 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 15 at the Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026). They are ranked #5284 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “I Smell Smoke!!!”, “I Smell Smoke!” and “I Smell Smoke!!”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,284

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1456

peak 1507 · rated over 24 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 15, 2013

latest Oct 2, 2026 · 13.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1020

Master 2026 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

8% of 26 contests

Avg finish

top 65%

overall standings

Best overall

667.8628 / 720

Master · BBQ & Fly-In on the River

Perfect 180s

Current form

640.27 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 611.06 (+29.22)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork Ribs · Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)

Consistency

±65.44

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.15 · weakest Brisket (146.73)

Road miles

11,892

across 26 mapped stops · furthest 1,286 mi

Schedule strength

35%

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

Purse competed for

$120K

listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

611.06 / 720

18 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

334.82 / 360

6 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master 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.

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

667.8628 career-best overall

92.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 667.8628 at BBQ & Fly-In on the River — 92.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 14, 2026

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 48%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10
1 category win
average top 48%

A tough matchup

12–1 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead in 92% of their meetings

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has come out ahead in 12 of their 13 shared contests.

The weak link

−15.4 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 15.43 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 12% of the time against 25%.

Brisket avg 146.73
Chicken avg 162.15
2 calls in 17 entries

A strong matchup

8–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SQUEELS ON WHEELS in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

2.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) (Oct 4, 2024).

last seen Jul 23, 2022
back Oct 4, 2024

Chicken nemesis

9 of 13 shared chicken entries lost

SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has out-cooked them in 9 of 13 shared chicken entries.

Show 3 more storylines

Boom or bust

±8.54% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±8.54% 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 87.0% of a perfect score
best 97.0%

An October team

Top 52% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 52% across 3 contests, versus top 65% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 65% the rest of the year

The long haul

11,892 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,892 miles across 26 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,286 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

26 mapped stops
furthest 1,286 mi

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 ↗	Master	#1020 (60 pts)	#1093 (60 pts)	#1161 (60 pts)	#1067 (60 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1452 (181 pts)	#954 (371 pts)	#1645 (151 pts)	#1581 (171 pts)	#1402 (206 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1970 (75 pts)	#2073 (75 pts)	#2043 (75 pts)	#2080 (75 pts)	#2034 (75 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to I Smell Smoke, 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.

SOUTHINURMOUTH

#5,271 of the rated field

1456 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1456

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to I Smell Smoke)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team I Smell Smoke has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Moolicious Intentions

#5,276 of the rated field

1456 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1513

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to I Smell Smoke)

They've been 1513 at their best, 56 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

The Porkscrews

#5,305 of the rated field

1456 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1456

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to I Smell Smoke)

Fewer contests behind them than I Smell Smoke has cooked, 7 to 26, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

WE RIB U LONG TIME

#5,275 of the rated field

1456 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before I Smell Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 25 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin Big

#5,289 of the rated field

1456 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1456

28 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Aug 22, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Black Sheep BBQ

#5,288 of the rated field

1456 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1456

Level with I Smell Smoke on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 19 contests
last seen May 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
THE BASIC BBQ TEAM	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
QUE AND A HALF MEN	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
INSANE SWINE BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
SQUEELS ON WHEELS	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
Udder Chaos	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
A MAZIE Q	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
STUBBORN BULL BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Chain Smokers	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
CIDER BOYS BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
CAN U SMELL MY PITS BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Bare Bones BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
HUMPHREY'S BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
Up-2 BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	24	6	1	2	173.7256	131.2344	162.15	top 59%
Pork Ribs	26	4	1	1	178.8572	128.4800	159.74	top 65%
Pork	18	4	1	1	173.7144	133.0856	155.72	top 63%
Brisket	17	2	0	0	166.8916	0	146.73	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)	3	top 64%
Medium (20–39)	12	top 53%
Large (40+)	9	top 80%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	7	top 62%
VT	6	top 55%
MS	4	top 99%
ME	2	top 55%
NH	2	top 65%
MA	2	top 29%
KS	1	top 96%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)	3	3	top 52%	Oct 2, 2026
The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival	3	14	top 54%	Jul 23, 2022
Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ	2	16	top 65%	Jul 25, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2026 6 contests

Contests a season 2.4 across 11 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 9 of 26 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 19 3 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 26 entries · 1 win · 4 calls

Opponents faced 981 finished ahead 273 times, behind 1,186

Longest layoff 2.2 yrs Jul 23, 2022 → Oct 4, 2024

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

20265 milestones

Aug 14 25th tracked contest BBQ & Fly-In on the River
Aug 14 Career-best overall score667.8628 BBQ & Fly-In on the River
Oct 2 First overall podium Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
Oct 2 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
Oct 2 Most recent contest Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)

20151 milestone

May 29 10th tracked contest Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ Fest

20136 milestones

Mar 15 First tracked contest Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel
May 18 First call The Lexington Battle-Green BBQ Festival
Jul 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.3600 The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ
Sep 14 First category win (Chicken) Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest
Sep 14 First overall top-10 Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest
Sep 14 Peak power rating (1507) Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14	Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)	Oct 2, 2026
+11.3	Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest	Sep 14, 2013
+7.4	Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest	Jul 16, 2016
+6.6	The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ	Jul 26, 2013
+4.8	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival	Jul 28, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.9	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel	Mar 15, 2013
-15.6	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre	Mar 14, 2014
-13.3	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel	Mar 13, 2015
-10.8	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1	Mar 18, 2016
-10.6	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST	Sep 12, 2019

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	6	1	1	50%	top 61%	97%	93.8%
2025	1	0	0	100%	top 57%	93.8%	93.8%
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 79%	90%	90%
2022	1	0	0	100%	top 56%	89.9%	89.9%
2021	1	0	0	100%	top 54%	91.9%	91.9%
2019	2	0	0	0%	top 75%	89.6%	85.8%
2018	1	0	0	100%	top 53%	89.5%	89.5%
2016	2	0	1	50%	top 72%	90.6%	74.9%
2015	3	0	0	33%	top 88%	87.9%	85.3%
2014	4	0	0	25%	top 64%	89.1%	85.8%
2013	4	1	1	75%	top 48%	91%	83.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 2, 2026	Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO	3 / 15 (349.1888)	9 (170.3316)	1 (178.8572)	—	—
Aug 14, 2026	BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	67 / 83 (667.8628)	57 (169.1200)	63 (167.4056)	61 (167.3828)	68 (163.9544)
May 15, 2026	West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (BACKYARD ONLY) Kansas City, MO	15 / 16 (327.9200)	15 (160.5372)	11 (167.3828)	—	—
May 15, 2026	West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Kansas City, MO	—	—	6 (171.4172)	—	—
May 15, 2026	West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS Contest #2) Kansas City, MO	—	—	12 (162.7884)	—	—
Mar 20, 2026	American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO	17 / 33 (339.3940)	8 (173.7028)	22 (165.6912)	—	—
Oct 3, 2025	Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO	13 / 23 (337.6684)	8 (173.7256)	17 (163.9428)	—	—
Oct 4, 2024	Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO	15 / 19 (323.9316)	13 (165.0972)	15 (158.8344)	—	—
Jul 23, 2022	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival 🏅 Windsor, VT	14 / 25 (647.4064)	20 (158.8344)	9 (165.7260)	20 (155.9544)	7 (166.8916)
Mar 12, 2021	American Royal Backyard and Steak Contest Kansas City, MO	13 / 24 (330.8000)	9 (163.3828)	13 (167.4172)	—	—
Sep 12, 2019	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	448 / 468 (589.7260)	362 (158.8344)	457 (141.1660)	462 (137.7028)	391 (152.0228)
Jul 27, 2019	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival 🏅 Windsor, VT	18 / 33 (645.1200)	13 (169.7028)	22 (162.2284)	18 (165.1200)	27 (154.7772)
Jul 28, 2018	The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival Windsor, VT	18 / 34 (644.5372)	23 (161.1428)	28 (152.5600)	5 (169.1428)	13 (161.6916)
Jul 16, 2016	Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest Old Orchard Beach, ME	12 / 26 (652.0120)	19 (156.5600)	19 (160.0004)	1 (173.7144)	14 (161.7372)
Mar 18, 2016	Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS	93 / 95 (427.2572)	87 (153.1200)	94 (128.4800)	90 (145.6572)	—
Jul 25, 2015	Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT	29 / 35 (633.1200)	25 (163.4628)	12 (166.8572)	4 (170.8572)	35 (131.9428)
May 29, 2015	Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ Fest Swanzey, NH	42 / 49 (609.0512)	44 (152.5484)	45 (148.5372)	37 (153.6912)	34 (154.2744)
Mar 13, 2015	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	91 / 94 (599.2916)	80 (159.9888)	77 (155.4172)	94 (135.9200)	87 (147.9656)
Aug 8, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Scarborough, ME	18 / 28 (630.7312)	2 (170.8800)	20 (153.6572)	16 (159.4284)	22 (146.7656)
Jul 25, 2014	Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT	16 / 34 (641.6344)	14 (162.8800)	24 (155.4172)	18 (157.6572)	11 (165.6800)
May 31, 2014	Monadnock Up in Smoke BBQ, Beer Fest Swanzey, NH	21 / 48 (641.5312)	16 (167.4284)	30 (155.9544)	35 (155.3484)	12 (162.8000)
Mar 14, 2014	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre Tupelo, MS	95 / 95 (556.8344)	95 (131.2344)	72 (154.2972)	95 (133.0856)	94 (138.2172)
Sep 14, 2013	Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest Harvard, MA	8 / 42 (650.2632)	1 (169.7372)	25 (157.1432)	22 (158.8456)	7 (164.5372)
Jul 26, 2013	The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT	11 / 31 (655.3600)	14 (164.5600)	19 (161.7028)	8 (166.8572)	14 (162.2400)
May 18, 2013	The Lexington Battle-Green BBQ Festival Lexington, MA	12 / 31 (642.8568)	13 (161.7140)	5 (170.8572)	23 (151.4284)	12 (158.8572)
Mar 15, 2013	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	100 / 100 (457.7140)	89 (153.1430)	68 (159.4286)	96 (145.1424)	100 (0)

I Smell Smoke

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Boom or bust

An October team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

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

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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, 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

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)