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EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern coach Randy Walker has an inflammation of the heart muscle and was hospitalized for a second day Tuesday. He could be released as early as today.

"I'm doing much better than I was 24 hours ago," Walker said Tuesday. "I was in a lot of pain initially, but for the most part, that has completely subsided. Yesterday was definitely a little shaky."

Walker, 50, checked himself into Evanston Northwestern Hospital Monday - the same day a former Miami University teammate, Ron Zook, was fired as coach at Florida - after experiencing chest pains before his weekly news conference. Tests showed Walker's heart is fine, but they also revealed the inflammation, known as myocarditis.

Doctors are still trying to determine what caused the disease, school spokesman Mike Wolf said. Myocarditis is not a common ailment, and it's usually caused by a virus. According to the American Heart Association, treatment can include anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.

Northwestern (3-4, 2-2 Big Ten) hosts No. 17 Purdue on Saturday, and Walker said he doesn't know yet if he'll be on the sidelines. He knows he will have to limit his activity somewhat, but doctors haven't said how much.

OHIO STATE: Tailback Lydell Ross is back with the team, but it is unclear whether he will play Saturday against Penn State.

Coach Jim Tressel cleared Ross to practice with the scout team this week and dress for the game.

A complaint filed last week accused Ross of passing phony money coupons at a local strip club. He was suspended for last week's game against Indiana.

KENTUCKY: Amid rumors that the departure of coach Rich Brooks is imminent, university president Lee Todd and athletic director Mitch Barnhart expressed their support for Brooks.

"We've got the coach we want," Barnhart said after a meeting of the university's board of trustees. "We're not in the market for a coach. We're going to work hard, recruit hard and bring our young players along."

UK is 1-6 heading into its game Saturday against Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi State.

A report last week on ESPN.com said Brooks, who is 5-14 in two seasons at Kentucky, planned to resign at the end of the season. Brooks addressed the report Saturday and again Monday, denying it and saying, "I'm not quitting."

Barnhart said Tuesday of the reports, "People have self-serving interests and make things up."

He added that college athletics "has become a business of rumor and innuendo. It's so important that our athletes and our coaches and our staffs stay focused on what their task is. That's harder than ever to do."

FLORIDA: Athletic director Jeremy Foley denied an ESPN.com report that school officials have contacted former coach Steve Spurrier about replacing Zook. According to ESPN.com, the school contacted Spurrier to gauge his interest in returning to coach the Gators and wanted an answer in 24 hours.