2012 bowl projections: Cincinnati, Kent State among Ohio teams in bowl mix

In the latest 2012 bowl projections from SB Nation's Jason Kirk, several Ohio-based schools are in the mix. Ohio State is 11-0 and the only undefeated team in the Big Ten, but because of NCAA sanctions, the Buckeyes will not be participating in a postseason game. Without those sanctions, OSU would be the league's leading candidate for the Rose Bowl.

But a handful other schools from Ohio will be playing this postseason, including the Cincinnati Bearcats, which are projected to meet N.C. State in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The Bearcats are 7-3 this season, with games against South Florida and UConn still to come.

Kent State, which leads the MAC's East Division, is projected to play in the GoDaddy.com Bowl, and Toledo is slotted in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Ohio Bobcats have lost two games in a row, but at 8-3 overall, a bowl slot is guaranteed, and Kirk sees them in the BBVA Compass Bowl. Bowling Green also is bowl eligible and could end up in the New Orleans Bowl.