Is Rutgers the Most Dysfunctional Program in College Football?

Rutgers football can't stay out of the headlines—for all the wrong reasons.

Four days after a late home loss to Washington State, the university fined and suspended head coach Kyle Flood for three games after an investigation into possible rules violations, according to Keith Sargeant of NJ.com.

Last month, NJ.com reported Rutgers was investigating an alleged email Flood sent from a personal account to a faculty member about the academic status of cornerback Nadir Barnwell.

The result of the investigation could have led to suspension or termination, per the details of Flood's contract with Rutgers.

According to a report released Wednesday by university president Robert Barchi (via NJ.com's Mark Mueller), Flood had an in-person meeting with the faculty member after "a member of the athletics advising staff reported that she reminded [Flood] that he [was] not to have any contact with any faculty member regarding a student's academic standing."

Flood was also found to have "provided grammatical and minor editorial suggestions" to a paper that the faculty member agreed to review after the in-person meeting.

Barchi and university officials decided to suspend Flood, but the released details of the investigation had many across the country saying termination would've been the better choice:

"

How broke is Rutgers that Kyle Flood is still employed?

— Luke Zimmermann (@lukezim) September 16, 2015"

But Flood's controversial suspension is far from the only issue currently affecting the Rutgers football program.

Just within the past two weeks, Rutgers dismissed six players—including Barnwell—shortly after their arrests for a variety of crimes related to home invasions and an assault. 

A week after their arrest, fullback Lloyd Terry was arrested and charged with participating in an armed home invasion. Terry was also dismissed from the team.

And earlier this week, star wide receiver Leonte Carroo was charged with assault for allegedly slamming a woman into the concrete outside of the team's football training center after the loss to Washington State, per the Record's Patricia Alex.

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Flood announced Sunday that Carroo was suspended indefinitely.

So, since the first week of the 2015 season, Rutgers has dismissed six players for crimes related to home invasion or assault, suspended another player because of another separate assault and has suspended its head coach for violating a university policy.

Right now, it's hard to find a college football program more dysfunctional than the one at Rutgers.

On the field, the Scarlet Knights now have to overcome a loss in which it blew two fourth-quarter leads—including one with less than two minutes left in the game—and will head into the start of the Big Ten schedule without its head coach.

Off the field, serious issues are plaguing the team at every turn.

The fact that Rutgers chose to simply suspend Flood for three games after finding what appears to be a blatant violation of academic policy might be the university's biggest sign of dysfunction.

On Monday, athletic director Julie Hermann—herself no stranger to controversy—showed up to the Scarlet Knights' practice and later released a statement on her "unwavering support" for Flood's program.

According to John Rowe of the Record, Hermann said:

"

As the leader of the athletic department, I felt it was important to meet with the players to express my profound disappointment over recent issues involving the program, but at the same time make the team fully aware that they have my unwavering support. The program has historically represented this university to the highest standards, both on and off the field. 

I can tell you from my personal interactions that this locker room is filled with the type of leaders and quality young men that will continue to serve as exemplary ambassadors for the university. The expectation is that they will continue to do so.

"

Two days later, the head coach of that team was fined and suspended.

Matt Hayes of Sporting News recently took Hermann, Barchi and Flood to task for their roles in the current mess at Rutgers:

"

Look, I don’t want to put 2 and 2 together, but it sure looks like Flood was allegedly sending an email to inquire about the academic status of a player who was being investigated by police for his alleged role in a handful of felonies. Folks, players aren't investigated for crimes without a coach knowing about it.

Meanwhile, athletic director Julie Hermann, who allegedly runs the athletic department, has refused to comment and sent all questions to university president Robert Barchi, who allegedly has his finger on the pulse of all things Scarlet but has said nothing while the university continues its investigation.

Rock on, Rutgers.

"

With Flood's academic fiasco, the arrests of five former players and the assault charge against the team's best offensive playmaker, the Rutgers football program needs to see some changes.

Whether or not you believe Flood should have been immediately fired in light of the investigation's details, it's clear the current status of the program—one that had an 11-win season less than a decade ago—is in bad shape.

Dysfunction defines Rutgers football right now.

Even if it doesn't come before the Scarlet Knights' final game on Nov. 28, a fresh restart would be the best call for this program.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.