Should USC football feel disrespected by ESPN's new hype video?

Every year, ESPN sets the tone for the college football season by picking a song to be the anthem that drives the network's coverage of the sport. This year, the network is going with a strange choice, "Get By" by country-rock artist Jelly Roll.

The first video the network released featuring this song dropped on Thursday to rather tepid enthusiasm by fans. In fact, many flat-out hate the song as a college football hype track.

What's interesting for USC fans, though, isn't the song but rather the video that ESPN put out with it. As you might expect, the 1:34-long piece of media is full of clips featuring tons of college football players, coaches, fans, and mascots.

However, something is missing from the video...any image featuring the USC Trojans.

It seems unbelievable that any college football hype video would exclude a program that is one of the bluest of the blue-bloods in the sport. Thus, USC fans likely feel disrespected by ESPN.

In the video, such teams as Kansas, Colorado, NC State, Washington State, Central Florida, Boise State, James Madison, Air Force, Fresno State, and even Texas State are featured at least once. However, there is no shot of anything to do with the Trojans.

Should USC fans feel slighted by ESPN? That is up to each individual. However, this is a reminder of where the Trojans seem to be as a national talking point these days.

Ranked just 23rd in the preseason Coaches Poll, and with a head coach who is taking fire from one of the game's loudest media voices, it feels as if USC is being forgotten about, even with the program making news by heading into the Big Ten.

Perhaps this is proof that the shine is off of Lincoln Riley as a head coach. What's more, he's become a bit of a villain to many fans across the nation. Is that why he wasn't featured in ESPN's video?

Maybe there were no Trojans in the video because this team lacks a national superstar. Gone is Caleb Williams and though the current roster features a ton of quality players, no current Trojan is close to being a household name.

The reality is that USC is in an odd place as a program these days. Despite having a high-profile coach and despite being one of the game's most accomplished programs, USC isn't moving the needle the way it typically does even though it is now in the mighty Big Ten.

The good news is that there is a simple way to change that...win games. In the first four weeks of the season, there are opportunities for wins over LSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

If Riley's squad can claim two or even all three of those games, then the buzz will be back in Southern California. That's the great thing about sports. There's always an opportunity to earn respect. With that said, it's just odd to see a program as storied as USC be in a position to have to remind the nation that it still matters.