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The run-up to the Notre Dame game strongly suggested Dabo Swinney would run off the bus to the top of the hill and project the vibe of a caged animal as noon approached Saturday.

Noticeably, even surprisingly, he was more the opposite.

His persona was subdued. He walked to his left and shook the hands of some fans, then did the same to his right.

His sideline vibe for much of the game was similar.

No, we're not saying he was emotionless. Just ... noticeably more measured than usual.

If you said this ranked among the Top 5 tumultuous weeks of Swinney's entire coaching tenure you probably wouldn't be far off.

For all of the outside sensation created by his spat with one fan in particular, and his grievances with a significant cross-section of fans in general, the big stuff was happening behind the scenes.

Multiple times late last week, readers of Tigerillustrated.com were informed of these developments.

DABO SWINNEY BEHIND THE SCENES (For subscribers-only)

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