It matters how you perform against certain teams, especially when your schedule is built to have 10 wins. There's teams you just pencil in as wins, and then there's teams you need to beat to gain legitimacy. Teams like Texas and TCU, oh, and not getting a beatdown at home from your rival who had no business doing that to you.
It's the Jerry Sloan coaching mantra, "if we just play our hardest and do what we usually do, no adjustments will be necessary and we'll just outexecute our opponent".
It doesn't work.