re: Would you prefer an Elite offense or an Elite defense

The "preference" for the thread is a false dichotomy as a hypothetical, but yeah, I'll expand on those most recent examples.
Washington struggled slowing down the run last season, but that offense carried them through to the Championship. Then they played Michigan, and the defense got gashed and dominated on the ground.
Defending the run has proven to be a key component to Championship teams over and over again. I posted about this last year. What we saw in the Championship was a continuation of the general pattern.

2023-24 - Michigan - 6 (90.1)
2022-23 - Georgia - 1 (81.2)
2021-22 - Georgia - 2 (80.1)
2020-21 - Alabama - 15 (113.1)
2019-20 - LSU - 23 (126.9)
2018-19 - Clemson - 2 (94.9)
2017-18 - Alabama - 1 (91.7)
2016-17 - Clemson - 23 (135.4)
2015-16 - Alabama - 1 (69.7)
2014-15 - Ohio State - 31 (141.7)

Defending the run was a core component of what Saban built with LSU. Some people forget or overlook that. The zenith was 2003-04 with a massive DL. That's really where Saban's dominant run in college football started.
Many fans and people in the media get enamored by offensive yards and points, but overlook this consistent pattern of Championship programs. I think this is partly due to 3-down fronts. Those big linemen don't typically accumulate a lot of stats and splash plays. But they do enable linebackers to do those things. So it takes a deeper look that doesn't show up in box scores to truly appreciate their value. (Not that a dominant front has to be 3-down. 4-down fronts work too with more disruptive DTs, and lighter DEs who are good at rushing the passer.)
I think there's also some detachment to the true impact of physicality for many.
Not all programs are able to be dominant against the run. LSU is one of the programs that does have the capacity, largely because of in-state and regional recruiting. The programs who are consistently good in this area have a long-term hold strategy to make an investing analogy. They have specific types of players they look for, and there's a thorough developmental process in place. There are guys like Wingo in the portal sometimes, but mainly this has been a developmental process for these programs. The reluctance to embrace the portal overall may have held Clemson back to some degree, but I think it is optimal for the most part in building a dominant front against the run.

Overall, it's really about how the different parts come together to form a complete team. Some strong areas have the capacity to make up for other areas of deficiency.