From the beginning of the season, Dabo Swinney’s rallying cry was joy. Each week for opponents, though, was another joyless occasion against a big orange machine that found its high gear midseason. The results shook the foundation of college football. In 2015 and 2016, the Tigers needed to bring their own guts to achieve great things. In Swinney’s 10th season, they brought their own sledgehammers. Larry Williams, who has covered Clemson and Swinney since 2004, unearths revealing anecdotes from Dabo’s tenure and shares how a season dominated by Alabama hype ended up overwhelmed by a Clemson tide.