Jim Harbaugh doesn’t have to deal with Urban Meyer anymore, which should make Michigan fans breathe a little easier. But he hasn’t forgotten about his rival.

When asked his reaction to Meyer retiring, Harbaugh gave a very on-brand answer: Complimentary yet critical.

“Urban Meyer’s had a winning record. A really phenomenal record everywhere he’s been,” the Wolverines coach said on a podcast with The Athletic. “But also, controversy follows everywhere he’s been.”

That is accurate. Meyer was suspended for the Buckeyes’ first three games of the 2018 season while the Big Ten school investigated domestic violence claims against former assistant coach Zach Smith. Many of his players at Florida often found off-the-field trouble, most notably Aaron Hernandez.

On the field, it’s hard to find fault with Meyer. He won three national champions, two at Florida and one at Ohio State. He owned Michigan, beating Harbaugh in all four meetings. Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have been successful — they have three 10-win seasons — but have fallen short of expectations, failing to reach the College Football Playoff. Perhaps with Meyer out of the way, that happens now.

“All you can be judged on is your record. What your record is overall. What your record is within your conference. What your record is with head-to-head matchups,” Harbaugh said. “I think you’ll find Ohio State is the only team with a better record, a better conference record than us [since I’ve been there] and has a better head-to-head matchup with us.

“Our goal, we have two. Win multiple championships and run a first-class program. That’s what we aspire to. We’re learning and you take accountability and you learn from it. Hope springs eternal and we’re fired up for this season going forward.”