re: After processing all that has happened... I think Bama will be much improved

KDB is such a good coach that Bama will remain elite. However, Saban's GOATness should never be underestimated. His greatness as a coach became even more clear in the later years, after Sark and Pruitt left and Bama got stuck with inferior coordinators.
I know these were Saban's hires, but that's not the point. The point is that despite the OC and the DC being pedestrian, Bama as a team did not regress to that level. When we were slipping, Saban always stepped in (and yes, at times at the half).
Saban by himself compensated for the lack of quality production from his coordinators to keep Bama always in games and (almost) always in either the play-off or championship conversation. What an amazing feat.

Next season: no Saban, a staff overhaul, new systems on both sides of the ball, plus some key draft and portal departures. This may very well cause some early season hiccups. But considering:
1. KDB being a darn good coach;
2. How fast he turned Washington around; and
3. The coaching staff as a whole being better than it was last year (on offense for sure),
things will turn out OK.

How OK we turn out to be and how fast, will determine whether we make the play-off. The season after next I fully expect us to compete for the natty.