Helps to know which direction you're going, and coming from.
When I lived in Florida, I had customers in Columbus, and Chattanooga, and Atlanta.
I found that I could take US-27 all the way to Chattanooga from Gainesville, FL (Or ALT-27 from Ocala to Tallaassee, then north on US-27) and miss most of the madness that is I-75 and Atlanta.
It was a bit longer, time-wise (around three hours) due to lower speed limits and such, but the stress/time ratio was acceptable in my book. (Plus a lot more interesting eating places can be found on that route.
There are a couple of variations on that theme - Stay on 75 to Tifton and take US-82 West to Albany, and north on SR-520-US-280 to Columbus, or stay on 75 to Cordele, and then US-280 to Columbus.
Yes, these take time, so if you're in a hurry, on a tight schedule, or just want to get it done, Bite the bullet, and stay on 75.
The worst part of I-75 northbound in the afternoon is after you cross the Chattahoochee and get near I-285. From there to Kennesaw and the I-575 cut-off can be a bit crazy.
Taking 285 around Atlanta is an adventure in itself, and not for the faint of heart.