If the Kansas game was do or die (to make the CCG)...then how was the ASU game?

Wouldn't our chances already in theory be done or dead based on the Kansas game? So Kansas clearly wasn't do or die.

Same story with Oklahoma last year. It can't be do or die and then be immediately followed by an Oklahoma St game that is also do or die for the same thing.

Or if you want to include those games as must-win, wouldn't the exact same logic apply to the Oklahoma St game or Utah game this year.

Basically you've made an argument that "Once we reach our peak, we inevitably lose under Retzlaff"... But that's tautological. Because if we don't lose, then it wasn't our peak