College football is not like college basketball where a top 20 team could knock off number 1 and maybe make a run. Nobody, at the end of the season, thinks #12 could knock of #1, let alone #24. There's never an argument for who is the best beyond 4-5 teams
Can't find any stats that show minutes played, but the final four team, only 8 guys played more than half of the Big Ten games. I don't think anyone of those were doing 35 minutes per game though
Bob Knight did that in both games they played that year. He was friends with George I believe and was playing mind games with him. I also remember listening to a game on the radio during Lute's tenure, against Heathcote and MSU. I think it was 10-8 at halftime.