Florida State began the year ranked No. 1, has yet to lose and plays in one of the five major conferences.

The natural question, of course, is why are Jimbo Fisher, Jameis Winston and Co. third in the College Football Playoff Committee’s most recent top 25? Why were they supplanted by Mississippi State a month ago?

There is the strength-of-schedule argument, the weak ACC and all of the Seminoles come-from-behind victories, including Saturday night’s 30-26 win at Miami in which they trailed by 16 points on two occasions.

There are holes in all of them. Forgive us if we come off as Johnnie Cochran defending a reviled client.

Florida State has defeated the teams on its schedule, the only major conference team still undefeated. It’s not the Seminoles’ fault their conference has struggled or the teams they previously defeated have fallen out of the top 25.

Instead of nit-picking their close calls, all these games they stole victory from the jaws of defeat, rallied for double-digit victories, we should respect their resiliency. Florida State has championship DNA, the will of a winner. What’s more impressive? Winning big or finding a way to prevail when facing long odds?

With Mississippi State’s loss to Alabama on Saturday, Florida State is back at No. 1 in the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. And perhaps they will be back atop the College Football Playoff rankings when they are released Tuesday.

They should be No. 1 in every poll, every ranking. The Seminoles are the defending champion who has yet to lose. Unlike other playoff contenders, Florida State actually scheduled a tough non-conference game, facing Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium in September. They hosted and defeated Notre Dame, before the Irish collapsed.

It seems everyone wants the Seminoles to lose. They are the sport’s villain, the result of so many ugly off-the-field incidents and alleged cover-ups, the narrative being FSU coaches and administrators are willing to look past the poor judgments of their players in order to keep winning. That may or may not be the case. But it shouldn’t impact their standing nationally. So many writers seemed too eager to drop the Seminoles in favor of Mississippi State.

They deserve the top spot in the playoff, as long as they keep winning. It shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion.

Give them the No. 1 ranking — the spot they have earned.

Gurley deserved better

While the NCAA made Todd Gurley pay for having the audacity to try to make money off his own name, handing the star running back a four-game suspension, Georgia was spending money on an insurance policy for the NFL prospect, ESPN reported on Sunday.

Georgia increased Gurley’s insurance policy to $10 million — $5 million for total disability if Gurley suffered an injury and didn’t play again and $5 million in loss of value insurance, which kicks in if Gurley injured himself and fell in the draft.

Gurley, in fact, got injured in his return Saturday, tearing his ACL in the Bulldogs’ impressive 34-7 rout of Auburn. Fortunately, his school has his back. Good for Georgia and better for Gurley.

Irish eyes are weeping

In one month, Notre Dame went from a title contender to likely out of the top 25, from playing in a premier bowl game to having to settle for one of the Sun Bowl’s ilk. Coach Brian Kelly was considered to have a national title contender, now he’s overseeing a season coming apart at the seams. Quarterback Everett Golson was a Heisman Trophy candidate, now his future as the Irish’s starting quarterback is uncertain.

This team, however, was vastly overrated. Its early schedule was much like Baylor’s, full of cupcakes at home, and their defense has become a sieve, allowing 42.2 points per game over the last five games.

Muschamp out at Florida

Florida made official what everybody had been expecting for weeks, announcing the firing Sunday of coach Will Muschamp after going 27-20 in four seasons. Florida is closing on its second straight losing year after 34 straight winning seasons. Muschamp will coach the Gators’ final two games, then step down.

Brady Hoke, you’re next. The replacements at Michigan and Florida won’t have a very high bar to surpass.

Amazing Melvin

Performance of the week: Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin. As obvious as dropping Notre Dame out of the top 25, after the Heisman Trophy candidate broke LaDainian Tomlinson’s FBS single game rushing record, producing 408 yards on 25 carries in a 59-24 obliteration of Nebraska, and it took him just three quarters to do so.

The junior, averaging a ridiculous 8.6 yards per carry, now leads the country with 1,909 yards, to go along with 23 touchdowns.

Watch your back, Marcus Mariota.

The Post Top 10

1. Florida State (10-0) (Last week: 1)

One constant in all of the Seminoles’ dramatic victories: their underrated defense standing tall.

2. Alabama (9-1) (5)

Nick Saban teams have now defeated five opponents ranked No. 1 by the AP after Saturday’s 25-20 win over Mississippi State. His spot in the College Football Hall of Fame is a lock.

3. Oregon (9-1) (2)

Forget the PAC-12 title game. Oregon’s biggest hurdle to reaching the playoff may be the Nov. 29 Civil War at in-state rival Oregon State, which upset Arizona State Saturday night.

4. Mississippi State (9-1) (2)

There isn’t a team in the country that would go into Tuscaloosa right now and leave victorious.

5. TCU (9-1) (4)

For the Horned Frogs’ sake, hopefully the playoff committee didn’t pay close attention to their ugly win at woeful Kansas.

6. Ohio State (9-1) (8)

The Buckeyes may not reach the playoff, but with steadily improving freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett under center next year, they are a favorite to get there next season.

7. Baylor (8-1) (7)

Baylor fans angry at the current position can look to their coach, Art Briles, for compiling that joke of a non-conference schedule that didn’t feature a single opponent from a power conference.

8. Georgia (8-2) (NR)

Alabama’s sternest test may not be the Iron Bowl against Auburn, but the SEC Championship Game against Georgia — if Missouri doesn’t win the SEC East — which decimated Auburn, 34-7, behind 289 yards on the ground.

9. Ole Miss (8-2) (10)

The odds aren’t in its favor, but Ole Miss can still win the SEC West by beating Mississippi State and getting help from Auburn against Alabama.

10. Michigan State (8-2) (NR)

The Spartans can still play their way into a major bowl.

Dropped out: Auburn (7-3), Arizona State (8-2)

On the Bubble: Wisconsin (8-2), Auburn (7-3), UCLA (8-2)

Top Four Explanation: Despite the loss to Alabama, Mississippi State’s body of work remains impressive, while TCU struggled with Kansas. Keep an eye on Ohio State, which is making a move.

Heisman Watch

QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon

He’s in the red zone, needing just a field goal, to wrap up the Heisman. The award is all but his.

RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

Gordon punched his ticket to New York City on Saturday, setting the FBS record with 408 rushing yards on just 25 carries and four touchdowns — in just three quarters.

WR Amari Cooper, Alabama

That’s four straight weeks of at least 80 yards and a touchdown for the top receiver in the country. His 50-yard catch at the goal-line over two Mississippi State defensive backs was Megatron-esque.

QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State

Our early 2015 Heisman Trophy front-runner continues to dazzle, scoring four touchdowns and accumulating 389 total yards in a win at Minnesota.

QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State

His star has dimmed considerably, particularly after throwing a season-high three interceptions — Prescott has been picked off eight times in the Bulldogs last five games — in Saturday’s 25-20 loss at Alabama.