Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller will need a strong finishing kick to win the Heisman Trophy, but he finally has the backing of the one person who has scrutinized his play more than anyone else this year — his coach.

Urban Meyer has been slow to embrace the Heisman chatter about his sophomore star, but that changed after Miller overcame a shaky start to lead the unbeaten Buckeyes to a 35-23 win before a boisterous sellout crowd at Penn State on Saturday.

When the topic of that bronze statue was raised again at his press luncheon Monday, Meyer said: “When I get asked a question like you’re asking, I give my honest answer. Do I believe he’s a Heisman candidate? I do. I didn’t say that before. But I do believe Braxton is a Heisman candidate. He has to play much better. However, just from sheer production of a team that’s 9-0, it puts him in that category.”

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein currently is first in the USA Today Sports Media Group poll. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o is second and Miller third.

One of 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award that goes to the nation’s top player, Miller couldn’t find the strike zone in the first quarter against the Nittany Lions. But he settled down after that, producing almost 300 total yards (134 rushing, 143 passing).

With just three games to go, Miller’s bid to win the Heisman will gain momentum if he leads the Buckeyes to an undefeated season. There has been some speculation that voters may be reluctant to cast ballots for a player whose team is ineligible for a bowl, but quarterback Andre Ware won the award at Houston in 1989 when the program was on NCAA probation.

“I was on Twitter, and I saw his name being mentioned in the Heisman race,” OSU receiver Devin Smith said of Miller. “I said, ‘Man, you’ve come a long way since last year.’

“To be honest, he doesn’t really talk about it much. That’s the type of guy he is. He’s very humble. But a lot of people talk about it on the team, like, ‘Man, what if he wins the Heisman?’ ”

Klein appears to have opened up a gap on the other contenders, but much can change over the final few weeks. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was once considered the runaway favorite but has dropped to fourth in the USA Today poll.

Miller is just the third Big Ten player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (joining Michigan’s Denard Robinson and Indiana’s Antwaan Randel El), but he almost played his way out of the discussion with some errant passes against the Nittany Lions.

A sure pick-six was dropped by a Penn State defender, and a jacked-up Miller overthrew receiver Philly Brown on a certain TD and Smith on a big-gainer.

“After I ran a little hitch, and he threw it before I got out of my break, I said, ‘Calm down. Just relax, man. You know what you can do. Just go out there and play,’ ” Smith said.

“He’s frustrated with himself, but I want to make sure he doesn’t over think the game and plays like he’s capable of playing.”

Meyer pointed out Miller missed a practice after taking a hard blow the week before against Purdue and landing in the hospital, which may have set him back. And the player is still trying to perfect his passing mechanics.

“(He) started very slow, was not very efficient early on in the passing game,” Meyer said. “However, he finished very strong. He made some big plays for us, and his competitive spirit is a big reason why we won that game.”

OSU honorees: Sophomore linebacker Ryan Shazier was selected the Big Ten’s co-defensive player of the week after notching two sacks and an interception return for a TD against Penn State.

Sophomore cornerback Bradley Roby was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the top defensive back. He leads the nation with 18 pass break-ups.

Junior defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is one of 16 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive player.