I have mostly done Mirage engineered flooring, on which they have increased the length of boards over the years, so I can't comment on lengths in their solid products.

I'm not sure where you heard it's "too soft". but that's preposterous. White Oak is White Oak, regardless of whether it ends up in a mill to be prefinished or sold unfinished. I have seen valid complaints detailing how Mirage products with smooth surfaces and semi-gloss finish show indentations, but the wire brushing and matte finish should mitigate that issue.

One thing to be aware of when purchasing character grade Oak is that it can often have short boards, because the better part of a board may have been cut off to sell in a higher grade, for a higher price. See if you can find a mill selling the wood you want in 2' to 10 lengths.

You can likely find longer boards by going unfinished/site finished, which will not have bevels for a more seamless look, and you get to choose the perfect color/finish for you.

The counterpoint to that would be the prefinished floor, which would take less time, make less mess, and have a more durable factory finish.

My choice would be to buy the longer length unfinished wood and do a minimal sanding that would include wire-brushing. I really like the Bona NaturalSeal color on White Oak.

One thing I didn't mention, which often bothers me, is how to properly acclimate wide solid prefinished boards. As a dealer, I would worry about the potential for it to warp due to acclimation issues.

I hugely appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much! That really helps with all the decision making!!! I am heavily leaning towards unfinished. Thank you so much!!!