Everybody loves a good assessment of a team, coach, etc., by an anonymous source. They're popular, because people believe they're getting an honest, unvarnished assessment, rather than the diplomacy expected when someone's name is tied to his or her words.

We're more careful than most with them, for one simple reason. Not putting one's name behind an assessment gives freedom to unload vitriol without any responsibility. It gives an opponent, for instance, the ability to negatively recruit or diminish a program without it ever circling back to them.

So it's important to consider the source. We did, in hearing from someone closely connected to a Michigan opponent, regarding the Wolverines' head coach. This is no Michigan hater — just someone who has carefully scrutinized Harbaugh's career, is directly involved in the game at a high level, and ponders like many Harbaugh's career at Michigan thus far.

So here are some off-the-cuff observations. Maybe nothing earth shattering, and some will sound familiar to regular assessment givers on The Fort. But they're interesting, coming from a direct competitor.

• First off, this source insists Harbaugh is an excellent coach. One has to look no farther than his NFL winning percentage to understand that. If you can win at the top level of the game, you can win at all levels.

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