abstract:The Auburn system (also known as the New York System) is a penal method of the 19th century in which persons worked during the day in groups and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times. The silent system evolved during the 1820s at Auburn Prison in Auburn, New York, as an alternative to and modification of the Pennsylvania System of solitary confinement, which it gradually replaced in the United States.
Second only to the Auburn University fans, the biggest smiles today are on the faces of the proponents of the Bowl Championship Series system which produced a classic game that was decided on the final play, a field goal that gave Auburn a pulsating 22-19 victory over Oregon.