Michigan pulled off a dominant 34-13 win over the Washington Huskies on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship to win its first national title since 1997.

Driving the news: The Wolverines won the old-fashioned way — with a punishing running game and a stout defense that contained Washington's dynamic air attack.

What they're saying: "Michigan, we did this for you," senior running back Blake Corum said. "Business is finished."

Why it matters: U of M cemented its place among college football's elite programs as the sport continues a major transformation.

What happened: Michigan jumped out to an early lead and led 17-10 at halftime.

• The game settled into a defensive battle in the second half before Corum broke the game open with a 12-yard touchdown run with seven minutes left.

The intrigue: With a national championship under his belt, U of M coach Jim Harbaugh's future in Ann Arbor is in doubt. He's expected to draw interest from NFL teams with coaching vacancies.

• "We've made it very clear that we want him to stay and I very much hope so," U of M president Santa Ono told the Detroit News before Monday's game.