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Kyle Allen: A&M experiencing downside of Johnny Manziel's tenure

According to former Texas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen, the post-Johnny Manziel era at Texas A&M has showed the downside of the school having the Heisman Trophy winner.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Allen referenced the "culture" that he believes started with Manziel, who won the 2012 Heisman Trophy and was a first round pick in the 2014 NFL draft. A&M was 11-2 in Manziel's Heisman season and has gone 25-14 since.

Allen, the Aggies' starter at the beginning of the season, announced his decision to transfer before the season concluded. Quarterback Kyler Murray also transferred, leaving third-string quarterback Jake Hubenak as the starter for the team's Music City Bowl loss to Louisville.

“I think the culture was a big part of it, and I think that stems from Johnny's era there -- the way that they let Johnny and [others] act there,” Allen told CBS. “They [could] do that and still win games because they had Johnny … and five offensive linemen playing in the NFL right now.”

“A lot of people were riding off that, ‘I can do whatever the hell I want and win on Saturday.'"

Manziel's ex-girlfriend is accusing him of assault after an alleged incident in Dallas in late January. The former A&M QB has been one of the most high-profile players in the NFL since he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2014, but it's been more for his off-field actions than his play in games.

Amidst the assault allegation, Manziel's father said his son could die soon if he doesn't get help.

Manziel was suspended for the first half of the first game of 2013 after an investigation into allegations that he made money from signing autographs. He was also arrested for disorderly conduct before he ever played a game at A&M.

Manziel's Heisman campaign helped boost fundraising efforts for renovations to Kyle Field at A&M. The school was also able to capitalize on its on-field success and brand sparked by Manziel with flashy uniforms and high-profile recruiting classes (not to mention the Swagcopter).

But Allen, a five-star recruit himself, says there's a price being paid from the Manziel era.

“When you don't have players like Johnny and [others] there anymore, you have to really come together as a team and scrap for wins,” Allen said.

“We had a lot of people who were talking about the same goal but weren't all committed and on the same page to get to that goal," Allen said.

“For you to win in the SEC -- especially the SEC West -- 10 games a year and be a controlling powerhouse in that conference, you can't have a bunch of people going different ways.

Murray went to Oklahoma.Allen transferred to Houston, the school where coach Kevin Sumlin was at before he came to A&M. If A&M doesn't contend for the SEC West in 2016, you can expect a lot of A&M fans clamoring for the school to make a move for Houston coach Tom Herman if Houston has another great season.

If Allen's assessment of A&M is accurate, the transition around the football program could be changing the culture he mentions. Sumlin replaced offensive coordinator Jake Spavital with former UCLA OC Noel Mazzone and athletic director Eric Hyman resigned in early January. Hyman was replaced by former Washington AD Scott Woodward.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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