Clemson was amped and ready for this game. Coaches may play it down a little bit publicly, but this was every bit a ‘put them in their place’ kind of game for the players in the locker room. Emotions don’t win games, but they keep you sharp and motivated—this team was definitely motivated and felt like they needed to make a statement (at least in the locker room).
Coach Swinney is a wonderful person and cares about his players (his work on breast cancer and in the community is amazing), etc etc. But he also is competitive and doesn’t care to be needled.