There goes JD Vance's shot at landing a roster spot on the Ohio State football team ... 'cause the Vice President just DROPPED the frickin' trophy as Donald Trump welcomed the Buckeyes to the White House to celebrate the Natty!

Check it out, the 2025 OSU winning squad was in Washington D.C. for a visit with POTUS ... to commemorate their big January victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

As the group -- football players, coaches, Trump, and Vance -- prepared to take a big group photo, JD attempted to pick up the trophy ... when the base gave way, careening to the ground (let's be honest -- it really wasn't Vance's fault).

Luckily, a member of the football team caught the upper part of the trophy before it too smashed to the ground, saving further embarrassment.

Despite the folly, head coach Ryan Day wasn't sweatin' the accident ... opting to leave the base behind and hold the 24-karat gold trophy with two hands.

Trophy disaster aside, the rest of the field trip went off without a hitch ... as DJT praised the OSU squad for their fantastic season.

The Philadelphia Eagles are due in town in the near future to celebrate their Super Bowl win -- keep VP Vance far away from the Lombardi Trophy!