A strange college football delay on Monday night had Ravens fans thinking back to one of the most unforgettable pauses in Baltimore history.
Florida State and SMU were set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, but a power outage pushed the game back in a big way. The delay lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, and that made the whole scene even more jarring for anyone who remembers what happened to the Ravens in Super Bowl 47.
Back in 2013, Baltimore’s title game against the San Francisco 49ers was stopped by a blackout in the second half. Players waited 34 minutes before the game finally restarted, and the Ravens went on to win.
Monday’s college football delay brought that memory rushing back, even if the circumstances weren’t quite the same. Florida State and SMU had to deal with partial lighting and no helmet communication early in the game, which made the situation feel even more chaotic.
For Ravens fans, though, the flashback goes beyond the outage itself. It pulls up memories of Baltimore at its peak, and the hope that the 2026 season could carry some of that same energy.
It has been 14 seasons since the Ravens last won the Super Bowl, and that drought still hangs over a franchise that has usually been among the league’s best. Baltimore has come close to recapturing the edge that fueled its championship runs in the 2000 and 2012 seasons, but the big moments have not always gone their way. John Harbaugh lost the glamor from his Super Bowl win, and the players struggled to handle the big moments.
That led to a sense of urgency in the offseason, and the Ravens moved into a new era under head coach Jesse Minter. It is a fresh staff, and that kind of turnover naturally makes Super Bowl talk feel a little ambitious in year one. Still, people have already started picking Baltimore to go all the way.
There are reasons for the optimism. The defense was dominant throughout the preseason, and the offense, while uneven at times, made its loudest statement in the preseason finale by hanging 41 points on the Washington Commanders.
The roster also looks much sturdier than it did a year ago. In 2025, the biggest issues were the pass rush and offensive line, and general manager Eric DeCosta attacked both areas.
Plenty of teams get talked up in August. This Ravens group, though, looks built differently. If it all clicks, Baltimore could be staring at another ring for owner Steve Bisciotti’s finger - ideally without needing a blackout to make the moment memorable.
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Ravens Enter Week 1 With A Huge Defensive Question
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Buchanans comeback from a torn ACL is moving in the right direction as well, giving Baltimore a pair of defensive situations to monitor right up to kickoff. On the other side, Colts receiver Alec Pierce is also trending toward playing after ankle surgery, which only adds to the importance of whatever the Ravens can or cannot get back on defense before the first snap of the season. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the forecast more interesting is how much it could ripple through the rest of the roster. If Gwyn settles into that role, Baltimore could be looking at a linchpin for stability up front, while other bold calls around Matthew Hibner and Nate Wiggins speak to how many young players are suddenly in line to define the next version of the team. It is still a speculative exercise, but the Ravens 2026 outlook may end up hinging on a starter few outside the building had penciled in this early. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Defense Faces A Week 1 Problem Colts Already Exposed
Jesse Minters defense got a tough lesson from the Colts last season, when Indianapolis found plenty of room against the nickel and dime looks that were supposed to give the Chargers flexibility. The Ravens are watching that tape with interest because those same coverage structures can be part of what Minter leans on again, and the opener offers an immediate reminder that familiar plans do not always travel cleanly from one roster to the next.
Minter has said he learned from those experiences and also noted that his current group is different from the one he coached a year ago, which matters because roster changes can alter how much a defense can disguise and survive. Baltimore also may be navigating potential absences up front, adding another layer to a Week 1 matchup that already feels like a test of how quickly the Ravens can turn last years mistakes into a sharper first impression. [Read more 🡒]