If you look around college football, offenses are putting up record numbers behind elite quarterback play and offensive-minded head coaches. However, great defensive play still wins championships, and the SEC has proven that over the last few years.

Coaches like Gus Malzahn, Hugh Freeze and Kevin Sumlin continue putting up big numbers on offense, while defensive-minded head coaches like Nick Saban still garner respect and win conference championships.

Would you rather have an offensive- or defensive-minded head coach?

Jon Cooper (@JonSDS): Offensive-minded

Had anyone asked me this question five years ago, I would have said defensive-minded in a heartbeat. However, college football is changing, and offenses are opening up the field and punishing strong, physical defenses. Auburn and Alabama are great examples in the SEC. Kirby Smart’s and Nick Saban’s defense hasn’t solved Auburn’s spread-em-out play yet. Of course, teams have to have great quarterback play and solid defenses to win championships. But give me the offensive-minded head coach in this landscape. Today, it’s all about scoring points, and there’s no better way to make sure of that than with an offensive-minded head ball coach. Three of the College Football Playoff’s four teams were led by offensive-minded head coaches, including the national champion, Ohio State.

Ethan Levine (@EthanLevineSDS): Defensive-minded

I remain a firm believer in the philosophy that “defense wins championships,” which should give away my answer. As offenses get more and more creative, I’d rather bring in a coordinator to focus solely on the offense, ensuring my playmakers are being maximized and that my team remains able to move the ball and control games either with possession or a rapid scoring pace. Meanwhile, I’d rather have my head honcho focusing on the defense that will be tasked with stopping other creative, explosive offenses. Playing tremendous defense is predicated on fundamental soundness and football IQ as much as any physical trait, which is why I’d like my top coach to lead the unit. There are obviously plenty of examples of teams winning with offensive-minded head coaches, but for me personally that’s just not my style. To frame it another way: I’d take Kirby Smart over Lane Kiffin as my head coach 10 out of 10 times.

Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS): Defensive-minded

Quarterback is ultimately the most important position on the field, but defense wins championships and Nick Saban has proved at Alabama that beating the opposition at point of attack often accomplishes the noteworthy feat. Repeatedly, the Crimson Tide have led the SEC in total defense during the Saban era and during those years, they’ve been a national title contender.

Christopher Smith (@CSmithSDS): Offensive-minded

The SEC is loaded with defensive talent — and I’m not just talking about players. Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, John Chavis, Robb Smith … even head coaches like Nick Saban, Bret Bielema and Derek Mason. It’s supply and demand, and there’s a market surplus on defense. Some teams with offensive-minded coaches struggled on that side of the ball in ’14 — Auburn and Texas A&M come to mind — but in the SEC, great offense attracts great defensive coaches. There’s a reason that Muschamp and Chavis, free agents of sorts, hitched their careers to Gus Malzahn and Kevin Sumlin, respectively. There’s a scarcity of great offensive coaches in the conference right now. Most of them migrate to the NFL, the Pac-12 or the Big 12. That’s one of the reasons I think Florida made a great hire with Jim McElwain.