The autopilot wouldn't have been in use for the takeoff roll, though, would it? The question of automation smarts seems like a bugaboo in what I understand to be a highly manual flight regime.

Correct, autopilot isn't engaged until at least several hundred feet AGL; varying by airline. Some airlines don't engage autopilot until reaching transition altitude or even cruise altitude. Still, the flight director is giving you the same information, and most pilots will just follow that because it's the most accurate way of getting you to where you need to go... if you've set it up correctly.