Belgian waffles are Jeff Marsh's digestable release.

It's not like he needs to eat one before every match, but for the fifth-year senior, the breakfast treat is a mental thing.

It's a routine Marsh has followed during his years on the Michigan wrestling team. He wakes up five hours before weigh-ins and heads over to Benny's Family Restaurant on South Industrial Avenue with some teammates.

On this afternoon, the opponent, Minnesota, has changed, but the habits remain the same. Marsh arrives promptly at 1 p.m., accompanied by sophomore Anthony Biondo and redshirt junior Tyrel Todd. None of the Benny's employees recognize him, but you can tell that Marsh and his teammates are familiar with their surroundings.

As Marsh sits down for breakfast - eating what he calls Super Waffles, making sure to cover them with strawberries and whipped cream - the reality sets in: this is one of the few activities during the grueling season that allows him to feel at ease.

Comfort is the reason Benny's has become a tradition for Marsh; he needs some weakness to indulge in or else he'll go insane.

A wrestler's insanity takes on various forms. It's keeping your weight down, battling injuries, looking over your shoulder, losing confidence or simply dealing with school.

It's a sport where mental deficiency is exploited and strength is rewarded.

After four days with the team and its coaches leading up to Michigan's Big Ten-opening weekend against Purdue and Minnesota, it became clear that a wrestler's mental strain never subsists - not in practice, and certainly not when match time comes.

WEDNESDAY, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE PURDUE MATCH:

This year's team is a laid back bunch - maybe a bit too much depending on who you ask. It's 3 p.m., and some on the team still haven't yet climbed the stairs from the locker room to the cramped wrestling room in the back halls of Crisler Arena. Others are stretching out or schmoozing with coaches.

As Michigan coach Joe McFarland begins speaking to the group to signal the start of practice, everyone pays attention. Late wrestlers get lucky, scurrying into the room just in time.

McFarland is as down to earth as they come, literally and figuratively. Having wrestled in the 126-pound weight class during his days as a four-time All American wrestler at Michigan, McFarland is rarely taller or bigger than the person he's speaking with.

It's that combination of slight stature and lofty accomplishments that allow him to relate with anybody on the team, whether a walk-on or a 275-pound heavyweight.

Today's practice, like most McFarland-run practices, starts with an hour of drills building toward two seven-minute simulated matches.

McFarland said each session is largely dependent on how hard each wrestler is willing to work.

"It can't be something where you just walk into practice and flip a switch on," he said.

And this practice has an awkward twist, one that stems from something McFarland decided before the session began. Redshirt sophomore Aaron Hynes had approached the coaching staff a few days before, asking for an opportunity to earn the starting position in the 157-pound weight class over Marsh.

Because Hynes did well at an open tournament - a set of matches that allow non-starters to gain experience - the week before, McFarland decides to grant an indicator match between the two to determine if a wrestle-off is warranted.

It's a sticky situation and one Marsh is all too familiar with. Just last season, Marsh held the starting spot at the 157-pound weight class only to lose it right before the Big Ten Championships.

Unlike other sports at the University, where teammates are loyal to the end, the wrestling room can sometimes become an "every man for himself" environment. Of the 28 wrestlers on the roster, just 10 are able to start each match.

As a result, Marsh knew he had to go after Hynes as if he were an enemy. The strategy paid dividends, too. Marsh won 8-0, keeping his starting position for another day.

"I had the idea that this was my spot, you're not going to take it away from me," Marsh said. "I don't care who you are. I don't care if you're my teammate or not, I'm not giving you any respect."

Come match time, though, Marsh and his teammates will have to switch gears and rely on each other if they are to beat Purdue or Minnesota.

THURSDAY, ONE DAY BEFORE THE PURDUE MATCH:

Injuries are an inevitable part of wrestling, and the Wolverines are no aberration.