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CLEMSON -- We all should've seen it coming from two miles and two weeks away.

A familiar movie played Saturday afternoon at Death Valley:

Dabo Swinney and his players have not just seven days but 14 to hear about how they're not what they were last year.

The Tigers lose their No. 1 ranking thanks to some lackluster moments at North Carolina.

And to top it all off, the head coach spends half of this week upset over questions about Trevor Lawrence.

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This routine has played out so much over the years that you wonder if Swinney privately gets giddy when skepticism comes from outside his program's walls.

Most teams play better when they're doubted. Swinney and Clemson have turned the phenomenon into an art form. They're more comfortable when they're uncomfortable, and Saturday's 45-14 onslaught over Florida State was defined by edginess.

From the very first play, when Lawrence chucked it deep to Tee Higgins, it was obvious the head man was out to send a message.

Some trickery on the next play, with Travis Etienne throwing to Justyn Ross, only reinforced it.

Once Etienne scored on fourth-and-3 to cap a six-play, 75-yard opening drive, Angry Dabo was on full display as he pumped his fists and gritted his teeth while walking up and down the sideline looking into the eyes and souls of his players.

It was on.

There was more emotion on Clemson's sideline in that moment than there was for most of the three-plus hours in Chapel Hill two weeks ago.

This was more like it. And it was a virtual sneer at all the voices who have been wondering where the real Clemson is and speculating on what might happen if the Tigers didn't start playing better.

Heck, even multiple ESPN personalities have taken up the topic of whether Clemson might be left out of the CFP even if the Tigers don't lose.

That's nuts, and it's perfect fodder for Swinney as he shares it all with his team.

Somehow, he makes a team that has won 21 consecutive games in a row a feel like an underdog.

It's one of the reasons he gets paid $9 million a year, and certainly a fundamental part of why this program has won two national titles in three years.

And a reason that it's utterly foolish to dismiss the idea of this loaded team doing whatever it wants against whoever is on the other side of the field when it's playing its best.

Clemson (6-0, 4-0) totaled 331 yards on 61 plays in its 21-20 win in Chapel Hill. The Tigers had 28 points and 301 yards on 36 plays over their first five drives Saturday on the way to rolling up 552 yards and 31 first downs.

Earlier this week, Lawrence shared that he suffered a shoulder bruise against Texas A&M but said he's been fine lately. This provoked some questions about whether the injury might've affected him when he was missing throws against North Carolina.

But seeing Lawrence bashing away on designed runs in Chapel Hill made it seem unlikely that he was struggling with much of anything other than just an off throwing day.

After his head coach rallied to his defense during the week, Lawrence backed him up with an authoritative afternoon. The sophomore threw for 170 yards and three touchdowns and an interception on a 17-of-25 clip before giving way to Chase Brice in the third quarter.

Etienne also rediscovered his groove after a game-changing fumble at North Carolina and some whiffs in pass protection. He was a more determined runner and a more committed blocker, with a key blitz pickup on a second-quarter touchdown throw from Lawrence to Justyn Ross on third down.

Etienne rushed for 127 yards on 17 carries after totaling 67 yards on 14 attempts at North Carolina.

The offense's breakout overshadowed some stifling defense by Brent Venables' crew. As expected, Clemson was able to overwhelm Florida State's hapless offensive line and harass the Seminoles' quarterbacks while also giving Cam Akers (9 carries for 34 yards) precious little running room.

The Seminoles did not have a snap in Clemson territory until less than three minutes were left in the game.

James Blackman and Alex Hornibrook had miserable afternoons behind center, combining to throw for three interceptions and 122 yards on 14 completions.

The Seminoles entered with a plus-5 turnover margin but totaled four, including a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown by Derion Kendrick.

Clemson has bludgeoned FSU by a combined score of 104-24 the last two years.

Three days ago, Swinney said he didn't want any drama in response to questions about his quarterback.

There was zero drama Saturday.

We've seen this movie before.

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