It is not irrelevant. Romney losing the largest Red State would be quite a thing, especially so going into the Convention. It would show weakness and an unwillingness by the Tea Party/Conservatives to roll over and play dead while we still have a voice.
It could quite literally be a last-second field goal that propels Newt to a nomination via a brokered convention.
Why would the convention pick someone who couldn't beat Romney in the primaries?