When you say "headed in the right direction," do you mean probation? :ezbill: Honestly, I think Bama is still two seasons away from fielding a top team.
I feel the same way. However, if the coaches hold an open tryout for the QB position instead of handing the reigns to JPW like they did this year (which happened only because Nick Fanuzzi was a true freshmen, I've heard he is head and shoulders above JPW) then I think they will improve on offense. Defensively, we have some kids coming in this year's recruiting class who can help immediately but the biggest challenge we had last year was finding a true nose guard to plug in our 3-4 defensive scheme. We have two recruits who fit that bill, one being a JUCO. 2009 should be good barometer of the status of the program.