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Wednesday's announcement of penalties for NCAA infractions cost the Oklahoma football team eight wins from the 2005 season.

But the real questions is this: How many wins will those penalties cost the Sooners in the 2007 season and beyond?

None. Zero. Zip-a-dee-do-da.

And OU isn't denying it. Coach Bob Stoops and President David Boren each mentioned that fact in their statements following the NCAA announcement last Wednesday.

Boren even led his statement with it: "It is appropriate that the action taken today by the NCAA does not limit the ability of our football team to succeed in the upcoming or future seasons,” he said.

So if Sooner fans are worrying about repercussions from the NCAA sanctions, stop.

Let's examine some of the primary sanctions beyond the self-imposed penalties individually:

•Public reprimand and censure: Good fodder for Internet message boards and for Oklahoma State and Texas fans to rip their OU buddies. But that's all.

•Vacate wins from 2005: OK, this is the obvious one. Taking away eight wins from two seasons ago doesn't change anything now. OU will have to put the Holiday Bowl trophy in a closet. But fans aren't breaking down the doors of the Switzer Center to see it anyway.

OSU's record books will still show a loss to the Sooners in 2005. Same with Oregon's and Kansas State's and the other five teams OU beat that year. There might be an asterisk next to the scores of those games, but asterisks don't change what happened. Just ask Roger Maris.

•The loss of two scholarships for the 2008 and 2009 seasons: Sure, you never know who those last two scholarships might have gone to and how much they might have helped the team. But that's just it — we'll never know. No one can prove those two scholarships would have gone to a great player or a part-time contributor or a scrub. What you don't know can't hurt you.

•The "failure to monitor” label: OU is appealing this finding, but such a label hurts only if you get in trouble again.

And the Sooners are taking the necessary steps to make sure they don't get in trouble again on such a serious level. They've distanced themselves from those involved in these infractions. The compliance department has been strengthened. The only thing they have left to do is not break the rules.

Seems easy enough.