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Changes in coaches' Top 10 but not at top

MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Losses by Top 10 teams last week shook up the USA Today Coaches' football poll but not at the very top where Florida, Texas and Alabama remain.

Iowa, Oregon, Louisiana State and Penn State lost last week, in Iowa's case ending the chance of a perfect season, and dropped in the poll released Monday.

Florida (9-0) pulled in 48 first-place votes and remained No. 1 while Texas (9-0) got four first-place votes and is No. 2. Third-ranked Alabama (9-0), which received seven first-place votes, earned a shot at Florida in the SEC Championship game Dec. 5.

Texas Christian (9-0) continues to lurk at No. 4 while Cincinnati (9-0) improved two spots to No. 5, a move that pushed Boise State (9-0) from fifth to sixth.

Georgia Tech (9-1) moved from 11th to seventh with Ohio State (8-2) now eighth from 12th, Pittsburgh (8-1) up from 14th to ninth and Southern California (7-2) going from 13th to 10th.

LSU (7-2) slipped from ninth to 11th and Houston (8-1), 15th a week ago, is at No. 12. Iowa (9-1) went from sixth to 13th but Utah (8-1) and Miami (Fla.) were both up two to 14th and 15th, respectively.

Oregon (7-2) is at No. 16, falling from eighth and Penn State (8-2) went from 10th to 17th. Oklahoma State (7-2) kept the No. 18 spot while Arizona (6-2) is 19th and Wisconsin (7-2) is 20th.

Virginia Tech (6-3) and Brigham Young (7-2) each moved up three spots to 21st and 22nd, respectively. No. 23 West Virginia (7-2), 24th-rated South Florida (6-2) and No. 25 Auburn (7-3) are new entries in the rankings.

Oklahoma, Notre Dame and California dropped off this week's poll.

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West fired but asked to coach 3 more games

MEMPHIS, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Memphis football Coach Tommy West has been fired but will coach the Tigers' remaining games this season, Athletic Director R.C. Johnson announced Monday.

The dismissal of West, who has coached the team since 1991, followed a 56-28 weekend loss to Tennessee, dropping the Tigers to 2-7.

Johnson praised West, calling him a man of "class, dignity and style," and said he has asked him to coach the final three games.

The Tigers are home against UAB Saturday and play at Houston Nov. 21 and Tulsa Nov. 27.

"The search will start immediately for a new head coach and I will assure you that I have not hired a coach nor do I have one in my back pocket that I will bring in tomorrow," Johnson said. "I would like to move as fast as possible for the sake of recruiting, but will not be able to address media questions on a regular basis until the search has been completed."

Memphis played in five bowl games under West.

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Lawrence Taylor arrested in crash

MIAMI, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Retired professional football great Lawrence Taylor was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident in the Miami area, police said.

Taylor, 50, was arrested late Sunday after his car allegedly collided with another on the Palmetto Expressway, police Lt. James Durden told The Miami Herald.

Investigators issued an alert for a white car missing a front right tire. At the next exit after the crash, police spotted the car with Taylor nearby talking on his cellphone, Durden said.

"He said he had been involved in a crash,'" Durden said, adding Taylor said he thought he hit a guard rail and not another car.

No one was injured in the crash and Taylor was released on $500 bond.

Taylor, considered one of the NFL's greatest defensive players, played his entire career for the New York Giants from 1981 through 1990.

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Blount reinstated by Oregon

EUGENE, Ore., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount, suspended for punching a Boise State player, has been reinstated and is eligible to play in the No. 16 Ducks' next game.

Oregon Coach Chip Kelly Monday said Blount could play this weekend when Oregon plays Arizona State. The Pac-10 Conference approved the reinstatement, allowing Blount to play in the Ducks' final three regular-season games and any Oregon bowl appearance.

"I'm grateful to Coach Kelly that he cares enough to offer me this second chance," Blount said in a statement. "Now it is up to me to prove to people that their lasting impressions of me are not what they saw in Boise.

Blount, a senior, was suspended by Kelly after the running back hit Boise State defensive end Byron Hout as Oregon and Boise State players mingled after the Broncos defeated Oregon in the season-opening game Sept. 3. Hout could be seen yelling at Blount before the punch was thrown.

Blount missed eight games. He had been expected to strongly contribute to the Ducks' offense after a junior season in which he gained 1,002 yards and scored a school-record 17 touchdowns in 2008.