Romney’s financial and organizational strength and early delegate advantage mean that Santorum will likely need something else to keep the race competitive down the stretch, and Gingrich may be just that wild card.

Despite his disappointing second-place finishes in Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday and increasing calls in conservative circles for him to drop out of the race to create an easier path for Santorum, Gingrich’s continued presence in the campaign may be the only way that Romney can be denied the 1,144 delegates he needs to lock it up.

If Gingrich were to drop out, various polls show that Santorum would garner the majority of the former speaker’s support. Nonetheless, in a two-man race with Romney, the math is more difficult for Santorum, not less. Romney figures to win enough of the delegates Gingrich otherwise would have taken to prevent Santorum from overtaking him.