re: How effective are high scoring offenses in winning the NC?

SEC offense that have averaged 500 yards per game all-time (edited from "in recent seasons." Looking back, nobody averaged 500 ypg before 1995 Florida):

2012 Texas A&M, 11-2, 558.5 ypg
2010 Auburn, 13-0 (national champs) 499.2 ypg (Round up to 500)
2001 Florida, 10-2, 527.5 ypg
1998 Kentucky, 6-6, 534.2 ypg
1996 Florida, 12-1 (national champs), 503.9 ypg
1995 Florida 12-1, 534.4 ypg

I'm just going off SEC statistical leaders. If there were teams that averaged 500 ypg and did not lead the SEC in yards, then I missed them.

So in the history of the SEC, there are 6 500-ypg teams (yeah, Auburn gets an asterisk) and they have combined for a 64-12 record, two national titles and three games where they played for national titles (1995 Florida lost to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl).

Half the losses come from that one Kentucky team that was all offense, no defense. Kentucky gonna Kentucky.

So yeah, if you can put up numbers, do it. I don't think it hurts your defense. It might hurt your defense's statistics, but at the end of the day, it's not about that.