The SEC's monopoly at the top of the college football pyramid has taken a hit.
With Michigan's defeat of Alabama in Monday's Rose Bowl, the SEC won't have a team in the college football championship game for the first time in a decade.
It wasn't easy for the Wolverines, who saw a 13-10 halftime lead disintegrate after a series of special team faux pas. In the end, though, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and the rest of Jim Harbaugh's squad did enough to outlast its foes.
More vitally, Big Blue banished college football's preeminent conference to the shadow realm in the final weekend of the year, an increasingly uncommon sight.
With that, here's what you need to know about the SEC's recent history in the CFP championship.
MORE: How Blake Corum's heroics, goal-line stand helped Michigan beat Alabama
Last non-SEC national championship game
2015 national championship: Ohio State 41, Oregon 20
The year was 2015, the site AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Brash competitors dueled under the gleam of the Jerry World marquees, with Ohio State taking on Oregon in the ultimate clash for gridiron superiority.
The way that both teams got there was a bit odd, at least by typical standards. For that was the first time that college football had implemented a playoff system in the sport.
Ezekiel Elliott painted a masterpiece, running for 246 yards and four touchdowns as the Buckeyes disposed of the Ducks, 41-20, to claim their first national championship awarded since the implementation of the playoffs in the 2014 campaign.
McCarthy, Corum and the rest of the Wolverines will be hoping for a similar storyline to come to fruition this time around, as well.
College Football Playoff history
College Football Playoff 2015
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl semifinal | No. 2 Oregon 59, No. 3 FSU 20 | Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif. |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl semifinal | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 1 Alabama 35 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans |
| Jan. 12 | College Football Playoff national championship | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
College Football Playoff 2016
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Dec. 31 | Cotton Bowl semifinal | No. 2 Alabama 38, No. 3 Michigan State 0 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
| Dec. 31 | Orange Bowl semifinal | No. 1 Clemson 37, No. 4 Oklahoma 17 | Sun Life Stadium, Miami, |
| Jan. 11 | College Football Playoff national championship | No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. |
College Football Playoff 2017
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Dec. 31 | Fiesta Bowl semifinal | No. 2 Clemson 31, No. 3 Ohio State 0 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. |
| Dec. 31 | Peach Bowl semifinal | No. 1 Alabama 24, No. 4 Washington 7 | Georgia Dome, Atlanta |
| Jan. 9 | College Football Playoff national championship | No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31 | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla. |
College Football Playoff 2018
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl semifinal | No. 2 Georgia 54, No. 3 Oklahoma 48 (2OT) | Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif. |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl semifinal | No. 4 Alabama 24, No. 1 Clemson 6 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans |
| Jan. 8 | College Football Playoff national championship | No. 1 Alabama 26, No. 2 Georgia 23 (OT) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
College Football Playoff 2019
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Dec. 29 | Cotton Bowl semifinal | No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3 | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| Dec. 29 | Orange Bowl semifinal | No. 1 Alabama 45, No. 4 Oklahoma 34 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Jan. 7 | CFP national championship | No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16 | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif. |
College Football Playoff 2020
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Dec. 28 | Peach Bowl semifinal | No. 1 LSU 63, No. 4 Oklahoma 28 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Dec. 28 | Fiesta Bowl semifinal | No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio State 23 | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. |
| Jan. 13 | CFP national championship | No. 1 LSU vs. No. 3 Clemson | Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans |
College Football Playoff 2021
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl semifinal | No. 1 Alabama 31, No. 4 Notre Dame 14 | Arlington, Texas |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl semifinal | No. 3 Ohio State 49, No. 2 Clemson 28 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Jan. 11 | CFP national championship | No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24 | Miami Gardens, Florida |
College Football Playoff 2022
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Dec. 31 | Cotton Bowl semifinal | No. 1 Alabama 27, No. 4 Cincinnati 6 | Arlington, Texas |
| Dec. 31 | Orange Bowl semifinal | No. 3 Georgia 34, No. 2 Michigan 11 | Miami Gardens, Florida |
| Jan. 10 | CFP national championship | No. 3 Georgia 33, No. 1 Alabama 18 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
College Football Playoff 2023
| Date | College Football Playoff game | Teams | Venue |
| Dec. 31 | Fiesta Bowl semifinal | No. 3 TCU 51, No. 2 Michigan 45 | Glendale, Arizona |
| Dec. 31 | Peach Bowl semifinal | No. 1 Georgia 42, No. 4 Ohio State 41 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Jan. 9 | CFP national championship | No. 1 Georgia 65, No. 3 TCU 7 | Los Angeles, California |