Michigan suffers its first loss of the season, suffering a blowout loss to Texas on Saturday. With the first loss out of the way, expectations need to be reset as the program prepares to take on Arkansas State.

Here are three final thoughts from Saturday's loss

For so long, the U-M culture defined its style of play. Bringing in guys with chips on their shoulders, hitting developmental home runs and a player-led program that utilized a smash-mouth style of football to sap the life out of teams.

After Saturday's performance, it's clear that things need to be adapted in order to keep the season from delving further into despair.

Of course, having an established culture is a very good thing and this isn't a suggestion for the program to change what worked, but it's clear you have to tweak things, and establish a new identity with your current personnel.

What is the team currently good at? Kicking field goals?

That's not going to win you any games.

The team has a bit of an identity crisis and it can no longer rely on the past to fix things. The solution lies somewhere ahead of them as you cannot let a Texas loss derail a season where some goals still remain.

The way the program is currently utilizing Alex Orji makes zero sense, as those decisions continue into week two.

I could not tell if Orji had the ball or if Jabrill Peppers came back for another year of eligibility with how he was predictably used. If defenses cannot respect the pass, they're going to figure you out 10/10 times.

While running up the middle may work against lesser opponents, championship-caliber teams will sniff that out and be ready for it, and Texas was ready.

During camp, it was often said that Orji could bring another element to the offense with his arm, but it's clear that the staff don't trust him as a passer of his lack of passing attempts speak for itself.

I have no issue with Davis Warren the starter, I do think the offense needs to put him in a position to be successful. It goes both ways, too, you cannot afford to a lapse in judgment and throw to someone in double coverage to get rid of the ball.

Passes five yards short of the first down marker, nothing schemed up that even stresses a defense, Texas' secondary had a field day sitting in coverage and being able to make a play.

To be fair, I don't think Warren has played poorly the last two weeks, I just don't think there's enough there to be a playoff-caliber team if you cannot be more advanced in the passing game.

While there's still a scenario where U-M can make the College Football Playoff, they're quickly running out of wiggle room. There were some improvements from a week ago, albeit small and inconsequential, one side of the offensive line improved while another struggled.

The team has yet to put in a complete team effort, something the program could hang its hat on for so long.

The improvements can no longer be small and gradual, there needs to be some visual evidence that this thing can go in the right direction. The schedule doesn't get easier except for a one-week respite against a 2-0 Arkansas State team where the Wolverines ar clearly better than, but nothing is coming easy and there lies the problem.

Mistakes will be made moving forward, it's inevitable, but you cannot compound mistakes into game-changing moments that will take you out of games moving forward.

It's going to be a bumpy road but there is a path, even if it looks treacherous.

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