Winning against the teams we are suppose to is improvement in the program. We haven't won a lot of those games in the past 30 years. Improvement in the program could potentially lead to more improvement.
Success breeds success. Better culture, better recruits, better staff, etc. That could possibly lead to championships, CFP wins, bowls wins, etc.
So yes, winning games is a success. Losing games isn't a success. Regardless of the opponent. Now, can we breed more success from it?