BUBBA-Q'S

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#603

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1658

peak 1672 · rated over 30 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s · 2 straight GCs

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-04-11

latest 2018-10-05

Best ToY finish

#45

Master 2014

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 31 contests

Avg finish

top 28%

overall standings

Best overall

693.0972 / 720

Master · Big Island BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

655.76 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 670.71 (-14.95)

Walk rate

81%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

179.4400

Brisket · 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ

Consistency

±15.80

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 168.47 · weakest Brisket (167.05)

Road miles

9,884

mi across 31 mapped stops · furthest 672 mi

Schedule strength

49%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1563)

Master avg

670.71 / 720

30 Master contests · 2 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (17 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

The heartbreaker

2.2284 points from the title

Came within 2.2284 points of the Grand Championship at BBQ in the Bluffs (2014-05-09).

Among the elite

#603 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 9% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1658 puts them #603 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1658
peak 1672
30 rated contests

Against the odds

26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2014-07-04) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 26-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, QUAU.

Giant slayer

55 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 55-team field at Taste of Grand Rapids 2014.

2014-07-25

Happy hunting ground

Top 14% average finish here

BBQ in the Bluffs is their spot: an average finish in the top 14% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 2nd
average top 14%

They almost always walk

81% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 25 of 31 contests

A top-10 category call in 81% of their 31 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

693.0972 career-best overall

96.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 693.0972 at Big Island BBQ — 96.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-08-22

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PORK PATROL BBQ has finished one call ahead of BUBBA-Q'S 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 2 Grand Championships

2014 was the year it came together: 16 contests, 2 Grand Championships and 5 category wins, at an average finish in the top 20%.

16 contests
12 overall top-10s
5 category wins
average top 20%

A tough matchup

13–2 behind in the head-to-head

LUCKY'S Q ahead in 87% of their meetings

LUCKY'S Q has come out ahead in 13 of their 15 shared contests.

The drought

17 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Taste of Grand Rapids 2014 on 2014-07-25 — 17 contests and 12.1 years ago.

last GC 2014-07-25
12.1 years ago

A strong matchup

10–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 91% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BLACK DOG BBQ IA in 10 of their 11 shared contests.

The comeback

3.1 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.1 years, then back at *Up in Smoke BBQ Bash (2018-09-28).

last seen 2015-08-28
back 2018-09-28

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKIN TRIGGERS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 18% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 18% across 4 contests, versus top 28% the rest of the year.

4 July contests
top 28% the rest of the year

The long haul

9,884 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 9,884 miles across 31 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 672 miles to 21st Colorado BBQ Challenge.

31 mapped stops
furthest 672 mi

The metronome

±2.19% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.19% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.2% of a perfect score
31 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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.

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

FLYBOY BBQ

#606 of the rated field

1657 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 72%
Peak: 1661

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to BUBBA-Q'S)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BUBBA-Q'S has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2016-07-15

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE N HOGS BBQ KS

#598 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 51%
Peak: 1680

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BUBBA-Q'S)

Careers of much the same size, 43 contests to 31, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2019-08-16

⚔ Head-to-head

BACKYARD BROS

#600 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1662

No shared contest yet.

37 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 32% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 33 contests
last seen 2023-09-27

⚔ Head-to-head

Q Cartel

#596 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 71%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2026-06-19
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

Big Daddy G's BBQ

#605 of the rated field

1658 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2022-09-29

⚔ Head-to-head

TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE

#601 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 74%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

3 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2016-06-24

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
LUCKY'S Q	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
BIG CHAIN BBQ GANG	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
BLACK DOG BBQ IA	11	10	1	91%	⚔ compare
IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
Hogline	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
T-MAC SMOKIN	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
Pig Skin BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
BIG BROTHERS BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
CITY SLICKERS BBQ	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	30	13	3	3	176.5600	153.6228	167.81	top 38%
Pork Ribs	30	15	1	4	178.2972	149.0744	168.47	top 29%
Pork	30	11	0	4	177.7144	149.6344	167.38	top 37%
Brisket	30	11	2	4	179.4400	149.0628	167.05	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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
IA	12	0	top 33%
MN	5	0	top 23%
WI	5	0	top 40%
OK	3	0	top 18%
CO	2	0	top 13%
MI	2	2	top 3%
TN	1	0	top 55%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	11	1	top 32%
Large (40+)	19	1	top 26%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
*Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	2	5	top 41%	2018-09-28
BBQ in the Bluffs	2	2	top 14%	2015-05-08
Central Iowa Expo BBQ	2	6	top 25%	2015-04-25
Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew	2	18	top 44%	2014-04-26

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.5 yrs 2014-04-11 → 2018-10-05

Busiest season 2014 16 contests · 2 GCs

Contests a season 7.8 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IA 12 of 31 contests · 8 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 26 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 30 entries · 3 wins · 13 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 168.47 · weakest Brisket (167.05)

Walk rate 81% a top-10 call in 25 of 31 contests

Overall top-10 rate 52% 16 of 31 contests

Wins it all 6% 2 Grand Championships · 2 reserve

First title 2014-07-04 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Best top-10 run 7 straight contests

Master average 670.71 out of 720 · 30 contests · 2 GCs

Opponents faced 688 1,004–328 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 9,884 31 mapped stops · furthest 672 mi

Schedule strength 1563 average field rating faced — tougher than 49% of rated contests

Longest layoff 3.1 yrs 2015-08-28 → 2018-09-28

Power rating 1658 peak 1672 · #603 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Sep 13 First tracked contest Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest
2014
Apr 11 First call 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
Apr 11 First category win (Brisket) 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
Apr 11 First overall top-10 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
Apr 11 First overall podium 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
Apr 11 First overall past 90% of a perfect score687.3140 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
Apr 11 Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
May 2 First Reserve Championship The Masters in May
Jun 13 10th tracked contest 21st Colorado BBQ Challenge
Jul 4 First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 25 Biggest field won (55 teams) Taste of Grand Rapids 2014
Aug 22 Career-best overall score693.0972 Big Island BBQ
2015
Jun 19 25th tracked contest 22nd Colorado BBQ Challenge
Jul 24 Peak power rating (1672) Up in Smoke BBQ Bash
2018
Oct 5 Most recent contest *SMOKEToBERFEST

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ	2014-04-11
+15.7	The Masters in May	2014-05-02
+15.2	BBQ in the Bluffs	2014-05-09
+14.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-07-04
+13.9	Smokin in Steele	2014-05-30

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.4	The Masters In May - The Classic	2015-05-02
-10.4	*Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	2018-09-28
-7	The Masters In May	2015-05-01
-4.8	Blues Hog Barbecue, Music & Craft Festival	2015-07-03
-1.6	*SMOKEToBERFEST	2018-10-05

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	2	0	0	0	100%	top 61%	90.8%	88.8%
2015	12	0	4	1	92%	top 33%	95.3%	92.6%
2014	16	2	12	5	75%	top 20%	96.3%	94.1%
2013	1	0	0	0	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-10-05	*SMOKEToBERFEST Ottumwa, IA	20 / 40 (653.6460)	36 (153.7256)	23 (161.6572)	19 (165.1088)	4 (173.1544)
2018-09-28	*Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	21 / 29 (624.9376)	21 (158.8344)	24 (149.0744)	27 (149.6344)	7 (167.3944)
2015-08-28	8th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	20 / 55 (664.4228)	8 (171.9772)	6 (173.1200)	23 (165.0856)	40 (154.2400)
2015-08-07	Med City BBQ & Musicfest Rochester, MN	19 / 47 (654.6972)	35 (159.3828)	34 (158.2172)	19 (166.8228)	10 (170.2744)
2015-07-24	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	5 / 54 (681.0972)	7 (173.7028)	18 (167.9772)	30 (164.5256)	4 (174.8916)
2015-07-03	Blues Hog Barbecue, Music & Craft Festival Jackson, TN	28 / 51 (668.4572)	46 (158.8228)	11 (171.4172)	2 (176.5716)	36 (161.6456)
2015-06-19	22nd Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	8 / 58 (672.4688)	26 (165.6916)	8 (172.5600)	3 (174.8456)	25 (159.3716)
2015-05-29	Smokin' in Steel Owatonna, MN	15 / 60 (671.3716)	18 (168.5488)	10 (168.5600)	17 (166.8800)	22 (167.3828)
2015-05-08	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	7 / 33 (670.8344)	7 (168.0000)	5 (170.2972)	2 (176.5600)	21 (155.9772)
2015-05-02	The Masters In May - The Classic Appleton, WI	34 / 47 (635.7944)	41 (153.6228)	9 (167.9772)	14 (165.1316)	44 (149.0628)
2015-05-01	The Masters In May Appleton, WI	32 / 57 (638.7200)	37 (158.2628)	14 (164.5256)	31 (159.9544)	38 (155.9772)
2015-04-25	Central Iowa Expo BBQ Boone, IA	6 / 41 (686.2748)	25 (169.7144)	2 (175.4288)	5 (174.2972)	22 (166.8344)
2015-04-24	Central Iowa Expo BBQ Boone, IA	15 / 42 (671.3144)	28 (166.2516)	1 (178.2972)	24 (165.6800)	35 (161.0856)
2015-04-17	10th Annual Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	11 / 75 (685.6228)	4 (176.5600)	4 (175.4056)	31 (168.5256)	37 (165.1316)
2014-08-29	4th Annual Smokin In the Bogs Warrens, WI	4 / 34 (681.6800)	8 (170.8456)	2 (177.7144)	16 (166.2628)	12 (166.8572)
2014-08-22	Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	4 / 54 (693.0972)	10 (172.5600)	2 (177.7028)	9 (171.9772)	17 (170.8572)
2014-08-01	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Madison, WI	17 / 30 (664.5144)	12 (169.7028)	12 (169.7144)	27 (159.3944)	17 (165.7028)
2014-07-25	Taste of Grand Rapids 2014 Grand Rapids, MI	1 / 55 (678.1828)	5 (171.9772)	7 (169.1200)	7 (171.4056)	20 (165.6800)
2014-07-04	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Traverse City, MI	1 / 21 (678.1828)	1 (173.7028)	9 (165.6916)	6 (167.3828)	3 (171.4056)
2014-06-21	Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge Davenport, IA	5 / 25 (684.4572)	10 (168.5256)	11 (165.0972)	2 (177.7144)	4 (173.1200)
2014-06-20	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	10 / 25 (666.1488)	1 (173.7028)	14 (158.8232)	15 (160.5028)	2 (173.1200)
2014-06-13	21st Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	7 / 55 (679.4292)	10 (168.5716)	16 (165.7144)	12 (171.9772)	6 (173.1660)
2014-05-30	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	3 / 67 (692.5028)	13 (172.5600)	8 (173.1200)	9 (171.9772)	7 (174.8456)
2014-05-24	Smokin' in the Junction West Des Moines, IA	10 / 31 (670.1600)	12 (167.9772)	11 (167.9772)	12 (167.9656)	13 (166.2400)
2014-05-16	Grand Lake BBQ Festival Langley, OK	11 / 33 (674.1828)	11 (171.9772)	15 (169.7144)	19 (163.9656)	12 (168.5256)
2014-05-09	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	2 / 33 (682.9148)	1 (176.0344)	6 (170.2744)	4 (172.0000)	13 (164.6060)
2014-05-02	The Masters in May Fremont, WI	2 / 62 (669.1088)	33 (159.3828)	22 (164.5372)	7 (169.7488)	1 (175.4400)
2014-04-26	Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew Boone, IA	19 / 39 (671.8856)	7 (175.4172)	13 (170.2628)	34 (156.5028)	16 (169.7028)
2014-04-25	Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew Boone, IA	18 / 45 (667.9432)	13 (171.9772)	24 (162.2400)	31 (163.4288)	13 (170.2972)
2014-04-11	9th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	3 / 64 (687.3140)	30 (166.2284)	10 (171.9772)	12 (169.6684)	1 (179.4400)
2013-09-13	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	—	—	—	—	—

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

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2015 ↗	Master	#544 (698 pts)	#629 (613 pts)	#281 (1198 pts)	#520 (743 pts)	#899 (393 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#45 (2393 pts)	#87 (1917 pts)	#132 (1708 pts)	#123 (1700 pts)	#76 (2018 pts)